Marins (Sailors) circa 1897

When they started out, Adolphe Binet (1854-1897) and his brother Victor shared a studio in Paris. He painted the shores of the Marne and the quays of the Seine, as well as other marine paintings. Adolphe's works were set in social realism, whilst his brother specialized in landscapes.
This social realism is present in this work. It represents a group, maybe three generations of the same family, talking together in the port of a town in Normandy. At the center, the sailor turns his back to the viewer, excluding us, the scene is hence private. The colors are bright and vibrant, responding to the joy in the faces of the two older characters. The orange atmosphere of the canvas and the blue shadows place the scene at dusk.
Workers, sailors, laundry women, and sellers are the characters favored by Binet, who appreciated contemporary subjects.