This watercolour portrays a sailing boat off the coast of Kyrenia. A couple is seated in the centre of the boat, but the focal figure appears to be the skipper. Three sailors are rowing along the shores. Two Greek flags fly on the masts of the boat. It is extremely interesting to find the three main figures dressed in traditional Greek costumes. This fact along with the title of the watercolour may represent a metaphorical allusion to the Cypriots’ alleged aspiration to be recognized as Greeks and unite with their ‘motherland’. An artist’s reflection on that aspiration becomes more obviously relevant upon the British taking control of the island. That would be the ‘dawn of a beautiful day in Cyprus’.
Max Beeger was a German painter, draughtsman, etcher, lithographer, and editor. He created portraits and landscapes, and particularly staged maritime motifs. He composed his artist’s signature from the letters Bgr.
PNT-00054 > Max Beeger, L'aurore d'une beau jour, Chypre, Watercolour, 32x40 cm, ca. 1880
The 'Sneak Peek' series is supported by The Hellenic Initiative Canada.
