Grandma Moses Goes to the Big City 1946

Grandma Moses made this painting, "Grandma Moses Goes to the Big City", using acrylics. Look at how she fearlessly flattens the space, everything is brought forward and presented to us directly, like a gift. It’s like she's saying, "Here it all is!" The colors are so unapologetically bright, and each form, whether it's a tree or a house, is outlined with this confident, steady hand. The dark lines add a graphic quality, giving clarity to the composition. Notice how the figures are rendered with simple, bold shapes, which are populated all over the landscape. Each small mark feels carefully considered. If you look carefully at the orchard to the right of the main house, you can see that each tree is individually marked with the slightest, yet definitive green and brown. It reminds me of Guston's late work in its own way. Both lean into simplicity, finding profundity in the act of description.