Wall Ornament 1935 - 1942

Molly Bodenstein painted this wall ornament, an American Eagle, in watercolour. The limited palette really struck me - this muted, almost antique green feels like a memory. Up close, you can see how Bodenstein coaxes out the form with these thin washes, layering color to build up depth. Look at the eagle's wings: each feather is carefully articulated with subtle tonal shifts, giving the sense of light playing across its surface. The texture is so smooth, so unlike the rough, weathered surface of the actual ornament. It’s as if she’s translating something solid and tangible into a more ethereal form. There is a ghostly quality, a softness which reminds me of some of Luc Tuymans' more washed out paintings. Both artists seem to be interested in how we construct meaning from images that are already loaded with cultural baggage, images that might appear innocuous but are in fact incredibly complex and contradictory.