The church, Papetoai
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Abstract
A church on a wooded foreshore.
Description
Drawing. The church is the main midground feature, seen at some distance on the far shoreline of a small bay of calm water, Martens' vantage point being the nearside shoreline. The church has a steeply pitched roof, and is apparently hexagonal, each of the three visible faces having three windows or doors with small openings above them. Behind the church, vegetation consisting mainly of palm trees runs from the centre left to the right-hand edge of the picture. In amongst this vegetation, in the centre right, there is a small single-storey pitched roof building, and at the right-hand edge a further bigger building with a steeper pitched and taller roof, whose outer eaves seem to extend to ground. In the shallow water of the bay, a human figure stands fishing with a long harpoon, facing left. To the left of the church the shoreline ends or passes back out of sight, allowing a line of sight to a more distant horizon, which rises steadily across the whole picture from open water at the left-hand edge. In the distance on the left there may be a boat, lying head-on to the viewer. The horizon proceeds via a rising shoreline with an impression of some half dozen trees, probably palms, to a rockier contour with little indication of either structure or vegetation. The sky contains some vague indications of cumulus clouds in the centre left and centre. At the right near the water's edge a tall palm is shown, with fronds bending to suggest a wind blowing from the left. The shadows in the picture are not specific enough to indicate the angle of the sun.