In his essay “the anglers on the seine” (die Angler an der Seine) the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig cast the anglers as a symbol of peace and tranquility. He observed that the mystique of the anglers lies in their apparent indifference to the problems of the world. Focused completely on their hook and sinker, they tune out the rest of the world, impervious to what’s going on around them.
This painting by Monet captures such a meditative state quite well I think. It’s either painted in the early morning, or -as I prefer to think- in the waning light of dusk. Maybe these men are just about to pack up and return home, having barely noticed the time go by.
Like the anglers, Monet would sit for very long times, completely transfixed by his work. Often he would paint the same scene over and over again, so as to capture the changing light as it progressed through the day. He would also carry multiple canvasses with him, so that he could work on a different piece depending on the time of day. Like a filmmaker chasing the perfect light, he was always trying to capture a moment in its very passing.
Late in life he took up residence in Venice, where he installed himself on a balcony so as paint the changing light on the surface of the canals. Like the anglers, Monet was drawn to water, and enjoyed disappearing in its reflective surfaces, losing himself for weeks at a time.
Monet painted 6 paintings of the grand canal in Venice, his only trip to the city.
I like to think that Monet recognized himself in the anglers. Like them, he too was waiting for that one moment. And if the catch was the goal, then the waiting was the true aim. Which is to say, the true pleasure lies not in the outcome, but in the heightened state of focus that comes with its pursuit.
I first came across this painting because it was used as a book cover for a collection of Stefan Zweig essays titled “The Art of Living without Worries” (die Kunst ohne Sorgen zu Leben), and while I’m not convinced that the anglers are without worries, they do appear to have achieved that kind of delicate tranquility which can be so elusive today.
And so I thought I’d share this painting with you, hoping that you might find it as soothing and improving as I do.
Julian
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