Eagle Bridge Hotel 1959

Grandma Moses made this painting, Eagle Bridge Hotel, with oil on board and an eye for folksy narrative. Look at the way she makes a mark – each leaf on the tree, each tiny person, is rendered with a simple, confident touch. It’s like she’s setting down memories, one dab at a time. The texture here is so matter-of-fact, and the colors are like clear, bright building blocks. Take the smoke billowing from the train, it’s a grey plume of pure joy. You can almost smell the coal burning, a real event made symbolic by the artist's rendering. The way she layers the paint, you can see that she isn’t trying to hide her process. It’s out in the open, honest and direct. The overall effect makes me think of painters like Henri Rousseau, who conjured exotic scenes from his imagination in a similar way. With Grandma Moses, there's the same directness and charm. It’s not about perfection; it’s about capturing the spirit of a place and time. It's about the joy of seeing and remembering.