A17: Pennsylvania Kitchen, 1752 c. 1940

This miniature room, "Pennsylvania Kitchen, 1752," was made by Narcissa Niblack Thorne sometime in the mid-twentieth century. It is an interior space reduced to a scale of one inch to one foot. Imagine the artist as an architect and a god. I think of the Dutch Masters when I look at this scene. It's a diorama, a box that captures a moment in time. I can almost smell the fireplace and imagine the hustle and bustle of daily life in this space. Thorne's precision is amazing. I wonder what it was like for her to meticulously recreate the details of this kitchen, the pots hanging over the hearth, the plates on the shelves. It’s as if she’s trying to freeze a moment in time. The Pennsylvania Kitchen evokes a sense of nostalgia, a longing for a simpler past. It invites us to reflect on the beauty of everyday life and the stories that objects can tell. It's a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places, and that even the smallest of things can hold great meaning.