Josephine and Mercie 1908

Edmund Charles Tarbell’s painting, Josephine and Mercie, invites us into a domestic space rendered in soft, muted tones of brown, cream, and mahogany. You can almost smell the beeswax! I wonder what it was like for Tarbell to build up this scene, layer by layer, decision by decision. Did he start with the figures or the furniture? The paint looks thinly applied, creating a smooth surface that catches the light. The brushstrokes are gentle, almost caressing, especially in the details of the women's dresses, or the reflection of the windows on the dresser. I love the way the light filters through the curtains, creating a soft, diffused glow that envelops the scene. The woman writing at the desk is so similar to many other paintings of women at writing desks. The other one reading also has a familiar echo. Artists are always riffing on each other, consciously or unconsciously. Painting is a long, ongoing conversation across time, inspiring and influencing one another’s creativity.