Paper 4 - Wadsworth Atheneum

On July 13th I visited the Wadsworth Atheneum. I had been looking forward to visiting this museum since the beginning of class because it houses some paintings that I love. I enjoyed the exhibit that showcased Connecticut artists, chuckled at Norman Rockwell’s “The Young Lady with the Shiner,” was transfixed by Monet’s “Water Lilies,” and felt serenity with Klimt’s “Two girls with Oleander.” The painting that continued to tug at me, however, was Winslow Homer’s “The Nooning.” Winslow Homer is known as one of the great American painters and is noted for his landscapes, marine paintings and watercolors. At the time when impressionism was at its peak, Homer’s work emphasized realism and objectivity. He began painting scenes from the US Civil war for Harper’s Weekly, after the war, he moved on to painting rural landscapes and, after moving to Maine in his later years, became a master of marine depictions, notably using watercolor. In “The Nooning”, Homer depicts a young boy reclining in the grass outside his farmhouse. This painting is oil on canvas and was painted in 1872, just seven years after the close of the US Civil War. At that time our country was still in the Reconstruction, dealing with the aftermath and upheaval of that war. Therefore, the country was nostalgic for the past, childhood and the peaceful times and images associated with it. This painting certainly had that effect on me and therefore captured a special place in my heart. It was the image of the young child lying in such a free and relaxing manner in fresh grass that recalled to my mind the lazy stretch of summer days between grades that would find me outdoors dawn till sunset. In fact, I specifically remember lying in the same exact position as the subject, inhaling the earth, and feeling the grass tickling my toes. Beyond even my own experiences, however, the painting evoked my hopes for my son’s vacation as I imagined him enjoying the same joy and freedom that I experienced at his age. Homer certainly was able to capture that feeling and imbue this piece of work with it. When I first approached this piece, my eyes were immediately drawn to the figure in the center of the painting. I loved how his face is not defined, but one can detect the smile on his face. I found that to be the way in which the artist was letting the observer know that child could be any one of us. The painting has an almost triangular shape to me as my eyes are drawn initially to the boy’s hat and further upward to the skyline. This creates a triangle with the boy’s body being the base. Additionally the boy’s body does form a diagonal, horizontal line across the painting which is mimicked by the grass/bush line to the right as well as the same directional line of the mountain in the background. Homer balanced out the painting with a tree and a house on the left and right, although the objects all appear clearly on the left whereas the right is mainly comprised of foliage with the house in the background. He also balanced the red flairs, on the left (brick wall), one in the center (chimney) and one to the far right (robin). The painting itself is somewhat muted, as the greens are deep and rich, and the sunlight only peeps through the trees onto the hat and shirt of the boy. The main colors in the painting are green (foliage), white (house and boy) and red (highlights – brick wall, 2 chimneys). This has a soothing quality and adds to the nostalgic feel of the painting. The left portion of the painting is predominantly filled with the white farmhouse, large tree, and small brick garden. There is also a rust colored case of some sort resting against the house. This farmhouse is very plainly depicted, as realistic as possible. In fact, it reminds me of a farmhouse that still stands on the end of the street where I grew up. The siding of the house isn’t perfectly straight, nor is it perfectly white, but it is perfectly authentic. I enjoyed the touch of the brick garden and container resting against the house. This helps to give the scene life and the feeling that the house is in use. The center of the painting contains more of the farmhouse as well as the main body of the central figure. Behind the house the observer can see that there is a mountain. This gives more depth to the landscape and the painting itself. The detail of the boy’s face cannot be seen, but his expression is one of joy and relaxation. Sunlight beams down on his straw hat and brightens his white billowy top, giving him a warm, contented look. He is barefoot and the longish grass surrounds him in waves and looks inviting. Grass, trees and foliage are the prime focus of the right side of the painting. Infect, it is so dense it nearly hides a second white farm house.