The Good in the Poor Fisherman

In the painting, The Poor Fisherman by Pierre Puvis de Chavanne many different themes coincide within the painting’s array of color. Many good qualities are displayed. Some examples are the qualities of peacefulness, hope, and love. This good is conveyed through the colors the artist uses. The way he positions the people in the painting, the expressions shown on the people’s faces, and the body language they seem to possess reinforce the theme …

…The name suggests poverty, nothingness, and a sense of dread, but the actual painting is the opposite. The painting shows peacefulness within oneself and one’s surroundings; hope for one another and confidence in oneself; and love in everyone. The fisherman, according to the title, seems to be the main attraction, yet his family shows serenity, faith, and affection within itself making the themes of the painting more important than what is in the painting.