Geese in Flight after 1850

Leila Bauman painted ‘Geese in Flight’ with oil on canvas, likely during the mid-19th century. The materials are traditional, yet the way she used them is anything but academic. What makes this painting so compelling is the contrast between its relatively refined medium and its decidedly vernacular style. The composition is divided horizontally, balancing land, water, and sky, with the titular geese providing an aerial perspective. Notice how Bauman inventories the signs of modernity: a steamboat, a passenger train, and a grand house, all emblems of progress and prosperity. Yet, the painting remains charmingly naive. This wasn’t carelessness, but a deliberate aesthetic choice. It’s tempting to read this as a commentary on the relentless pace of industrialization, positioning a simplified pastoral vision in contrast to the complications of modern life. Ultimately, Bauman’s choice of materials is less important than her act of making. She's challenging the traditional hierarchies of art, offering a unique, self-taught vision of a rapidly changing world.