Winter Farm 1930

Frances V. Bear made this tonal lithograph, Winter Farm, sometime in the 20th century. I love the way the artist has layered the tones in this piece and built up the scene through line and shading! You know, I find myself wondering what Bear was thinking when she composed this image. How the artist considered each mark and how it would shape the overall composition. Each stroke of the pencil, or whatever tool she used, has been carefully considered to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. It's a beautiful illustration of light and dark. It reminds me a bit of Thomas Hart Benton, but quieter, more internal. I can imagine her outside in the cold, watching the farm, with the cows and the snow. Frances V. Bear and Thomas Hart Benton; they were both in conversation, in the great conversation of art, inspiring each other, feeding off each other's work. Painting is like that - an ongoing exchange of ideas. It embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations. There is no fixed meaning, but an unfolding of possibilities.