Giving Thanks 1942

Horace Pippin made this painting, Giving Thanks, with oil on canvas. Look at how the family is gathered together, heads bowed in a moment of reflection, the scene rendered in rich, earthy tones. The paint is applied with a directness that feels both humble and profound. The textures are somewhat flat, but so alive with detail. The wood logs of the cabin are built up in horizontal strokes. The varied patterns of fabric and objects scattered throughout the room contrast to the more formal elements of the composition, like the rectangular table and open doorway. The whole painting has a quality of stillness, a moment of quiet contemplation. It reminds me a little of Milton Avery, in the way the tones are simplified but somehow still so alive, so full of feeling. What it is, is that there's no one 'right' way to see the world, and that's the beauty of art.