Peasant family 1957

Rafael Zabaleta made this oil painting of a peasant family sometime in the mid-20th century. Just look at the faces, and how the people's hands are placed in their laps. There's a formality to this image, like a snapshot, but it's a constructed pose, so you can feel the artist's presence. The colour palette is earthy, with shades of green and brown dominating – that ochre reminds me of van Gogh. Zabaleta makes these people look iconic, but the plates hanging on the wall in the background add a playful touch. They were probably on the wall in real life! It feels like Zabaleta knew these people intimately. I bet he was thinking about how to capture their dignity and their connection to the land. He probably also felt he was making a tribute to Spanish art, which often depicts everyday folk in a monumental way. The bold outlines remind me of Fernand Léger. You can see how artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring each other across time. Painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations of tradition.