Panel c. 1930s

This anonymous Panel painting is waiting for us at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The dominant earthy palette pulls us in, doesn't it? Imagine the artist in action, the artwork emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I can't help but wonder what the artist might have been thinking when they made this. It’s almost like a textile or a design for wallpaper. Maybe it was for a room with lots of plants? Maybe they were thinking about nature and how it grows and repeats. It reminds me of a conversation between artists across time. Think about someone like William Morris, who used patterns and nature in his work. The beauty of painting is that it's an embodied expression, right? It embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations. It invites us to bring our own stories and experiences.