SUNSET POSTCARD

Sunsets are favorite topics for postcard artists because the vivid colors make for striking compositions.

This scene depicts a typical Amazonian view, with a hut in the foreground. Someone carrying a basket is heading toward the hut, whereas a canoe is heading away. Note the tortoise in the scene, a popular topic in postcards.

Bordered by purple-blue, this sunset is more stylized than the one above. The canoe is typical of small motorized vessels plying the river, but real vegetation is much more chaotic than shown. Iquitos, a large Peruvian Amazon city, is the artist's attempt to make the postcard more commercial. The artist signed the piece, 'J. Mesones.' (See also macaw with tortoises.)

The muted colors of this postcard lend the scene a more tranquil feel than the above two pieces. The simple composition highlights the person in the canoe, while highlights on the vegetation stand out. This work is unsigned.