Seascape before the Storm

The subject of this seascape, where no boats or human figures appear, is the surging mass of water that occupies two thirds of the canvas. Flat, Japanese-style patches form the foam on the crest of the waves, and dull, matte tones range from white to slate blue and deep purple, colours that correspond to mystical and impenetrable states of mind. According to the title given by Wladyslawa Jaworska, this work represents the sea before a storm. In 1897, Slewinski wrote to his friend Zenon Przesmycki from Le Pouldu: “You cannot imagine the splendour of this sea, or how many sketches and paintings one could make of it if one were to stay a year or two. I had time to capture but a few, which give an idea of the whole.”