Background

Saying hello and saying goodbye, like day and night, go hand in hand. Romantic stories of this sort are forever the source of poetic inspiration; think of the classic tale of Tristan and Isolde. 

Key point

Even though the possible attributes of connection are present in the painting (such as the mooring rope), the artist does not quite follow the traditional ‘marriage of true minds’ approach. The metaphor of coming together and drifting apart appears to be more complicated here. The woman is full of playful zest. The sailor, cast as the ship stem, is moving forward with determination.

The artist fills the painting with the blue light of the boundless skyline. It speaks of the much-needed spiritual bonding between the woman and the sailor man, of overcoming the psychological barrier before they become truly close.