Village backyard 1943

This is Ivan Generalic’s Village Backyard, painted in 1943, though the materials are not listed, I’m going to guess it was oil on canvas or board. The mark making is very precise and controlled, with small strokes and an almost miniaturist attention to detail. Look at the way he has rendered the bark on the trees, for instance. This is a process of slowly building up the image, layer by layer. The physical texture is likely smooth, given the precision of the application. I am drawn to the contrast between the darkness of the sky and the earth, and the whiteness of the houses and ladders. There is a feeling of both comfort and melancholy. It reminds me a little of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who also found beauty and pathos in the everyday lives of peasants. This painting is a testament to the power of art to find beauty in the ordinary, and to remind us of the shared humanity that connects us across time and cultures.