French Nostalgia

A bright sun sets over an ocean, and a moon-like planet shines dimly in a calm evening sky. Gentle waves ripple almost noiselessly against a sandy shore, while in the foreground, a man and woman in white sportswear stand face-to-face, observing each other.

French nostalgia
Watercolour, 26 x 36 cm, signed WW and dated 2022. Available.

Both are wearing white masks that are scale models of the cabins of H vans, formerly manufactured by the French constructor Citroën between 1947 and 1981. The woman is wearing a standard French model with suicide doors, while the man is wearing a special Dutch model with doors that are conventionally hinged. The stylish bodywork of these vans was inspired by the corrugated fuselage skins of German Junkers aircraft built between the First World War and the 1930s. The corrugations brought strength without adding weight, and could be produced with low-cost press tools. Used by the French police, Citroën HY vans were instantly recognisable, and were commonly known as “panniers à salade” (which in English mean “salad baskets”).

In the present scene, are we witnessing a special ritual, or just observing a fancy dress parade that celebrates mythical French nostalgia from the “Old World”?

Though the masks may at first look slightly cumbersome, they are constructed with lightweight materials, counterbalanced, and doted with comfortable shoulder pads. If required, they can contain drink distributors, while food can always be passed to the wearers’ mouths from underneath. The masks can be a useful accessory at night, with their headlights turned on; and at all times the wearers can check what’s going on behind them, by simply looking in their side view mirrors.

To see more science fiction watercolours please refer to the page Sci-Fi.