Sailing boats on shore of Gryfia

In the 1920s and 1930s, artists eagerly presented views of the hill with the castle of the Pomeranian dukes, the area of today's Wały Chrobrego (Hakenterrasse), the harbour area at the mouth of the Duńczyca River, and places less popular, although equally picturesque, such as the Gryfia area (Greifen-Werft). The latter is a river island connected by a dike with Ostrów Brdowski, located between the Western Oder and the Mieleński Spit, on which shipyard buildings were erected in the 19th century. During the Second World War, German submarines were assembled there; now, it is the area of Szczecin Shiprepair Yard Gryfia. In its vicinity runs a canal leading to the seaport in Szczecin. The waters adjacent to Gryfia formed a small, picturesque bay, which an unknown artist immortalised in an oil painting, stylistically alluding to impressionist works. Thick patches of paint, applied with a thick brush, show a row of single-mast cutter-type sailing boats moored to the stilts, reflected in the water with a frenzy of colours. The shipyard buildings, visible in the distance, have been portrayed conventionally, with just a few brush strokes. The boats are depicted with deviations from a realistic appearance, especially about the layout of their rigging. However, the viewer can recognise the wooden fishing boats typical of this region of Pomerania, with their characteristic brick-red sails.

Małgorzata Peszko