Girl and dog in the park

Alexandrine

A tree in the foreground divides this painting into two unequal parts. The viewer hovers like a bird above the scene. The ground consists of diagonal planes of colour. We see a girl with plaits, suitcase in hand. The silhouette of a black dog. Which way is it looking? Does it see us, the onlookers, or is it looking in the direction of its tethered counterpart? The leaves of the tree are individually defined and resemble a drawing cut from paper. The scene appears to be drenched in sunlight, yet there is no shadow, not even perpendicularly. The stone pillars of the railing fence have a spatial appearance at the top, but are as flat as a pancake at the bottom. The large blocks of bright colour give the image a direct quality, also compelling from a distance, like a poster.