Mother and child 

Will Barnet made this painting, "Mother and Child," with careful arrangements of color and form. The composition is structured around the interplay of dark and light, with the mother's pale face and ochre dress contrasting against the deep blacks and browns of the background and her coat. This contrast draws our eyes upwards, emphasizing the psychological connection between mother and child. Barnet's use of simplified shapes and planes flatten the picture to challenge traditional perspectival depth. This flatness invites us to consider how he uses the interplay of figure and ground to create a visual and emotional dynamic. The child's position, with hands above her head, opens her to the viewer, complicating the narrative and adding a layer of introspection. Notice how Barnet reduces detail in the faces, abstracting them to universal types, yet their expressions remain subtly engaging. This combination of abstraction and emotional accessibility is where the painting's true power resides.