Girl knitting 1901

Anders Zorn captured this cozy scene of a girl knitting with oils on canvas, sometime around the turn of the 20th century. The painting is full of earthy tones, ochre, greens, and reds, giving the scene warmth, like sunlight filtering through a window. You can almost feel the texture of the wool she's working with. The brushstrokes are loose and free, but they create the impression of a tender moment. I wonder if Zorn was thinking about the quiet, repetitive nature of knitting – the way it can be both practical and meditative. I imagine Zorn, brush in hand, trying to capture the way the light catches the girl's hair, the way her brow furrows in concentration. Maybe he was thinking about other artists who have depicted domestic scenes, like Vermeer, but with a more modern, impressionistic touch. The way the light reflects off the girl's blond hair seems influenced by Impressionism. It's like Zorn is in conversation with other artists, across time, each of them adding their voice to the ongoing story of painting, each of them inspiring one another's creativity.