The Historian Dr. Ariane Galy’s Essay About Cristina Rodriguez’s Painting "Love Boat"

On the water sail a pair of lovers - under the giant sunhat they hold onto one another, surrounded by mythology and fantasy: a mermaid sings on a rock, a bull watches from the shore, two unknown characters appear on land and in the river. The sun and moon and stars are reflected in the water, though perhaps they are in fact in the water? The Love Boat holds magic because it manifests all the hopes and dreams of love: on their shared journey through life, the two lovers may encounter many amazing, unbelievable, sometimes frightening and sometimes beautiful things – but by holding onto each other in their chosen vessel, together they can navigate through all of life’s strangest and most wondrous moments.