In Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest, Henri Rousseau takes a woman, better suited for promenading in Parisian parks, and places her tropically, and absurdly, out of her element. “Gazing at the viewer with a look of vague surprise, the…
writing
Bowl of Fruit c.1830 – A Poem
There is a performative aspect to this painting. The curtains remind me of theatre curtains, the fruit is oversized, and the dual plates and knives are carefully positioned downstage. But the kitchens of the 19th century were not performative. Tucked…
Orange – A Poem
Granddaughter of Isaac Newton, Amanda Almira Newton contributed nearly one-sixth of all the 7,600 archived botanical illustrations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Her watercolour work for the Department from 1896-1928 documented an expanding industry at a time when photography…
Two Pears on a Tabletop – A Poem
Known for his “radiant sunlight” and “filmy atmosphere”, Sanford Robinson Gifford’s style as a master landscaper was well established by the 1860s. Around the time he was painting Two Pears, he was chosen as one of two artists (the other…
Green Plums – A Poem
Such is the photo-like quality of Green Plums, I didn’t realise until reading the National Gallery of Art’s discussion of Joseph Decker’s paintings in American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I (pages 123-125) that not all the plums are as…
Pub Bench – A Poem
The inspiration for this simple poem came not just from this John Frederick Peto painting, but from a photo I took a while ago (see below). It’s a warm night. I’m on holiday. I’m inside a city pub having a…
Plough Horse – A Poem
I deliberately chose to use the British/Australian “plough”, instead of the Americanised “plow” here. There is a weightiness to the visual of the word “plough”, I just don’t see in “plow”. I also see “dough”, “rough”, “tough”, even “ought” –…
Conviviality Near the Inn – A Poem
The first time I looked at Conviviality Near the Inn, all I saw were the peasants, dancing and hawking wares. The second time I looked, the more to me it seemed the castle (or church) dominated half the painting, not…
Boy with a Basket of Fruit – A Poem
One of the joys of this food/art/poem project of mine is imagining life outside the painting, which leads me to research. Information on child labour in the US here. A little look at historic tin toys here. And it’s not…
Strawberries and Cream – A Poem
Raphaelle Peale was considered to be the U.S.’s first professional still-life painter. He was son of Charles Willson Peale, brother to Rembrandt and Rubens, nephew of James Peale, and his cousins were Anna Claypoole, Margaretta Peale, and Sarah Peale. But…
Old Partner – A Poem
Why choose to paint a broken down old kettle? According to Artvee.com, John Frederick Peto was a trompe l’oeil specialist, and painted objects at their actual size. This old kettle painting is only 12.7 x 20.3 cm (5 x 8…
The Strawberry Girl – A Poem
Ammi Phillips (1788-1865) painted more than two thousand portraits in various styles. Many are very much like The Strawberry Girl, with strong dark and light contrasts, and, almost, awkward figures. Phillips managed a steady income as a portrait artist, often…
