

Born in Scottsdale, Arizona, Donald Zolan was a child prodigy. He first proved his worth at age twelve when he received a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago for oil painting. Joan Gunin of Kids Today magazine describes Zolan as having an “incredible talent to portray the joy, innocence, and wide-eyed wonder of early childhood” (Kids Today Online).  This is evident in his 1989 oil painting, “Country Walk”, which illustrates a young boy holding the hand of an even younger girl as they walk along a country road. One could perceive the image as an older brother teaching life lessons to his younger sister as she listens with admiration. By looking at Donald Zolan’s “Country Walk”, one can see how the painting portrays a bond between siblings and their influence on one another, which is important because of the impact family members have on an individual’s life.

As previously stated, the painting shows a boy and a girl, who are perceived as siblings, holding hands and walking down a country road. The boy’s right hand holds that of his sisters while his left hand grasps a straw hat with a purple ribbon dangling from its brim. The hat appears to belong to his sister, thus demonstrating another kind gesture from the boy. He wears a stripped blue and white short-sleeve shirt tucked into gray shorts with a dark brown belt around his waist. He has on white socks bunched around his ankles and white shoes that appear slightly discolored from the country path. As for his external features, he is short in stature and thin with blonde, layered hair resembling a bowl-cut. His eyes look down upon his sister and his mouth opens as if he is in mid-speech. The little girl returns the gaze, her eyes fixated on her brother. Her mouth is slightly ajar as if what he is saying has her in awe. Her medium length, blonde hair drapes along her upper back and shoulders. She dresses in a puffy, white, long-sleeve blouse under her light pink, flowy dress with high white socks that extend to her knees and flat, white shoes upon her feet. Her left hand grips the hand of her brother and her right hand holds on to a straw basket filled with pink and blue flowers. The setting around them displays a country road, but instead of a typical dirt path, it is covered with straw and hay. On each side of the path there are tall green plants and luscious bushes as if to depict a healthy field. The colors used in the painting portray mid-day or a time approaching sunset with the use of soft yellows gleaming on both the children’s heads to illustrate the warm sun shining down on them. Zolan’s use of soft colors, specifically yellow, portray positive emotions for the audience and reinforce the innocence and purity of the children. The painting is overall loving and kind, determined from the siblings and the colors used to support how a sibling can impact another.

The painting describes the relationship between two siblings and even more specifically, between an older brother and his younger sister. In many scenarios, an older brother acts as the protector of a younger sister and in this image, that idea is evident. The three most important details in the painting that support the theme of the protective, impactful older brother are the holding of his younger sister’s hand, the holding of her hat, and his facial expressions. Although, the picture only allows the audience to view the boy’s profile, one can see a softness in his face. This softness leads the audience to believe he talks to his little sister kind-heartedly and without harshness or intimidation. The other two details, holding her hat and her hand, reinforce the boy’s compassion for his younger sister, but the job of the protective big brother doesn’t stop there. Its description progresses towards the sister’s future and leading her both physically and metaphorically. In the painting, he physically leads her down a country road, leaving the audience to assume they are headed home, but metaphorically he leads her towards a positive, successful future. This metaphorical approach can be from the life lessons he teaches her or simply from his protective instincts keeping her safe from the ever-changing world. There are many ways a family member can impact an individual’s life and the painting clearly shows the affect an older brother has on his younger sister as a protector icon.

The painting is intended for all individuals; however, it will impact those with solid family connections more. Seeing the two siblings holding hands and walking together can cause an individual to relive a certain memory and allow them to relate closer to the characters in the painting; however, the viewer doesn’t have to be an older brother or younger sister to relate to the characters. Simply by having a close relationship with any sibling, the viewer will be able to make comparisons from their own life to the lives of the siblings in the painting and then create a more personal connection with “Country Walk”. Since the painting is a still frame, it lacks a textual description, thus meaning there could be misread ideas or unstated assumptions. For example, the little sister could have done something wrong and now the older brother is walking her home, correcting her mistake; however, even if that is the case, there is clearly still a secure, loving bond between the two. The older brother will make sure his sister grows up to take the correct path because he is her protector and it’s his responsibility to ensure her safety and success. 

Donald Zolan had a knack for painting childhood innocence and purity. His 1989 oil painting a “Country Walk” demonstrated a clear theme for childhood purity; however, it also proved the strength within family relations, specifically sibling bonds. Relationships between older brothers and younger sisters can be very special and powerful. The young boy and girl in “Country Walk” illustrate this ideal relationship and reiterate the idea that family relations matter and can highly impact an individual’s life.  
