The Omnibus…
(Inspired by Anders Zorn’s 1892 painting…)
The trolleybus seems uncomfortable, passengers thrown
Together by the availability of any vacant seat. The quartet, wearing
A variety of headwear, soon become a fascinating lure
Into interpreting their separate lives, by their expressions and bearing…
The fellow wearing the top hat, a toff perhaps, exudes confidence
Next to the dozing, leaning man, whose head is covered by a working cap,
Their days no doubt having nothing at all in common,
For one is likely gentry, the other a probably a labouring chap…
The heavily made-up woman he lists towards is generally thought
To be a courtesan, with her seemingly relaxed attitude and knowing smile
Hoping to hook unsuspecting prey during the omnibus ride,
With her red lips, alluring attire and decadent style…
The female in the foreground however, looks anxious, concerned and flushed,
As nervously she fingers a box upon her lap. A delivery of some kind? A new hat for a client?
Or could her furtiveness suggest an illicit transaction,
The fear of detection perchance, all too apparent…
Pete Ray…
8th March 2026…
Interesting piece to conjecture about…
The thoughts of a source, The Sand Martin...
'Travelling on public transport in the early days of the last century may have been either a joy or a necessity, depending upon one’s circumstances. This depiction features four characters with very differing stances and facial expressions indicating a range of emotions and feelings.
The gentleman in the top hat appears comfortable, confident and resigned to the necessity. By contrast the chap in a cap sitting next to him appears to be a working man exhausted by his day’s labour and asleep with his head at an awkward angle and oblivious to the beautiful smartly attired young lady sitting next to him.
She appears to be interested in the passing views or the companions opposite and is perhaps engaged in conversation or could be deep in thought. A rather different type of woman sits next to her and is the main figure and focus of the painting.
Her demeanour and expression hint that she is a woman of the world with worries on her mind as her far away expression may indicate. She has a determined look as if hatching a plot of some sort and her expression is not particularly a pleasant one.
She has one hand on her hip and one loosely placed upon the large parcel on her lap with her fingers positioned as if tapping. One wonders about the contents of the pale coloured box taking up such a large space in the forefront of the painting. Given the person holding that box all sorts of ideas enter into the imagination.
In parts the painting of this picture is delicate, for example as in the faces of these disparate characters. Their clothing and the glass in the windows are more impressionistic with just enough detail to give a sufficient suggestion. The limited use of colour to achieve this effect is impressive particularly the shades of black, brown and murky greens used in the apparel.
Pale lemon, white and grey mixtures used for the glass of the windows and for the box, lift the intensity of the painting at opposite corners and almost frame the figures that draw one into this very interesting scene that is most certainly an excellent study of human character.'
