Too many ships

A blazing red and orange mound rises out of a blue sea in this painting by Jules de Balincourt, glowing like a volcano or an island soaking up the last light of the day. A dark red sun sits low in the sky above it, and the whole scene has a dreamy, slightly unreal quality. The colors are bold and far from natural, which is typical of de Balincourt, a French born artist based in Brooklyn who loves showing landscapes from high above or far away.

The title is where the fun sneaks in. Dozens of little ships crowd the water on every side, scattered around like toys someone forgot to put away, while the fiery peak sits calm and quiet at the center. There really are too many ships, and that playful crowding might be read as a comment on traffic and busy harbors, or simply enjoyed for the way the warm center burns against all that cool blue. De Balincourt often blends the real with the imagined, and this piece leaves you free to decide which parts are which.