Cradle c. 1940

Chris Makrenos made this painting called Cradle, and it’s got me thinking about how objects carry stories. The painting is mostly greens and reds, and the shapes kind of hint at a container – maybe for something precious? I’m imagining Makrenos studying this cradle, maybe it’s something from his family, and thinking about all the memories it holds. The red interior makes me feel like it's holding something warm and alive. And the way Makrenos painted the details, those decorative swirls, it feels like he’s not just copying what he sees. It looks like he’s really engaging with the object and trying to communicate something deeper about care and history. It’s like he's looking back at the long history of painting while doing it. We’re all in conversation with each other, aren’t we?