Eva Cassidy: The Water Is Wide

Henri Lebasque (French, 1865-1937), *En barque sur la Marne,* oil on canvas, signed ‘Lebasque’ (lower left), Painted circa 1905-1906, Image Source: wikimedia

The present work, En Barque sur la Marne, is exemplary in combining most of Lebasque’s influential artistic experiences into one luminous painting. The thick iridescent touches of paint show Lebasque’s understanding of colour and divisionnisme, whilst he uses bright tones to suffuse the scene with a sense of liveliness. An intimate scene of a young girl, thought to be his eldest daughter Marthe, sitting cross-legged in a boat under the shade of a tree, is captured from above, a decidedly modern perspective as the viewer is presented with a cropped and divided view of the overall scene. In this work Lebasque creates a warm atmosphere with colours and light, evidence of the Intimistes‘ influence. He also masterfully creates a domestic scene in a plein-air painting, reflecting his own personal approach to the subject.
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Lyrics

The water is wide I can not get o'er
And neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall row my love and I
O love is handsome and love is fine
And love's a jewel when it's first new
But love grows old and waxes gold
And fades away like morning dew
There is a ship it's sailing the sea
It's loaded deep as deep can be
But not so deep as my love for him
I know not if I sink or swim
The water is wide I can not get o'er
And neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall row my love and I
And both shall row my love and I

Source: LyricFind

Songwriter: Bob Dylan