By the Cellar 1917

Carl Larsson made this watercolor, By the Cellar, sometime before 1919, probably en plein air. Can you imagine him, the paper gently buckling under the soft brushstrokes? The artist coaxes the scene into being, building up translucent washes of color. I love the warmth and the sense of family here. The artist must have been thinking about home, about the sweetness and charm of ordinary life. There’s a grounded-ness in the way Larsson renders the children, that I find really appealing. A realness. Look at the bare feet of the girl in the foreground. The pinks and browns of her dress echo the colors of the earth and the building. It's interesting to think about how he’s orchestrating this very down-to-earth palette. Larsson's work reminds me of other painters, like Bonnard, who were interested in capturing intimate, domestic moments. Artists are always in conversation with each other, building on traditions, and pushing them in new directions. Painting offers us a way to see the world through another's eyes, and maybe, to understand our own lives a little better.