The Artist's Wife Knitting 1920

William James Glackens made this painting of his wife knitting with oil paint on canvas. Look at how Glackens builds up the image with these tiny, flickering brushstrokes. It’s like he's not just painting what he sees, but also how he feels about the scene. There’s a real sense of process here, a kind of dedication to observing and recording a moment in time, bit by bit. The way he uses color is really interesting, too. It’s not just about matching the local color of an object, but about creating this whole atmosphere, right? Check out the red yarn in her lap. See how it vibrates against the muted tones of her dress and the sofa? And then, how that red kind of echoes in the drapes behind her. It's not so much a color as an emotive force that gives the piece a real zing. There is something very Vuillard about Glackens here - he is concerned with the interiority of women's lives, and how to describe it through the language of paint. I love the way Glackens lets us feel the quiet, domestic space, the soft light, and the gentle rhythm of his wife's knitting. It’s like he’s inviting us into their world for a moment.