“The Pollution of the Water” is a symbolic painting by artist Remedios Varo, executed in oil on canvas. This artwork belongs to the Surrealism movement and, like much of Varo’s work, contains mystical and fantastical elements. The painting is currently held in a private collection. The surrealist nature of the artwork often leads to multiple interpretations, reflecting the artist’s intention to explore themes beyond the immediate visual representation.
Upon observing the artwork, one is confronted with a scene that seems to wrap the viewer in a dreamlike state, with elements combining the ordinary and the extraordinary in a way that is characteristic of surrealism. The setting appears to be a market, suggested by the display of fruits and vegetables; however, it is no ordinary market. A central figure resembling a spectral being cloaked in white stands out prominently, holding an oar or perhaps a farming tool, giving it a grim reaper-like appearance. This figure’s face is hidden under a wide-brimmed hat, covered by a white sheet with holes only for the eyes, rendering it ghostly or robotic.
The fruits and vegetables seem abundant and are arranged neatly on the stalls, hinting at a sense of order amidst the chaos. The market is enveloped in a desert-like landscape beneath a sky divided by stretched white cloths or canopies that cast shadow and light in a dramatic fashion. The way the light falls and the presence of these cloths create a surreal atmosphere, challenging the perception of space and the boundaries between the physical and the imagined.
The tones of the painting are somewhat muted with earthy browns and soft, sandy hues, punctuated by the vivid colors of the produce and the stark white of the spectral figure. This use of color reinforces the otherworldly quality of the painting. Overall, the artwork conveys an uncanny juxtaposition of life, symbolized by the fertile produce, against a ghostlike figure that may suggest an omen or guardian of this surreal realm. Irrespective of the many possible interpretations, “The Pollution of the Water” encapsulates Remedios Varo’s signature style of blending reality with fantasy to ignite the viewers’ imagination.
