The Farmer's Kitchen 1934

Ivan Albright made *The Farmer’s Kitchen* with oil on canvas, but when is anyone’s guess. The colour palette is tight, made from browns and muted blues, it’s like he only bought a few tubes of paint and then really went to town! Up close you can see the artist really working at the surface. The paint’s thick and built up in layers, especially on the old woman’s hands. Look at how he’s rendered every wrinkle, every little detail. It's brutal and beautiful. I find myself studying the way the skin seems to sag and droop. The radishes in her hands are like little jewels, bright red against the dullness of everything else. For me, the radishes are the key. Are they a symbol of hope, of new life, in this scene of aging and decay? Maybe it’s too obvious, but Albright always seemed to be thinking about Vanitas in his own way. Or maybe he just wanted to add a pop of color, who knows? Art’s not about answers, it’s about questions, right?