Eagle Bridge Hotel 1959

Grandma Moses made this painting, Eagle Bridge Hotel, with what looks like simple brushstrokes and a joyful eye. I love the palette of greens, browns, and blues – they evoke a bygone era, don't they? I imagine her, brush in hand, building up the layers, figuring out where to put the train, the hotel, and all the little figures bustling around. Did she start with the landscape or the building? It’s like she’s constructing a memory, piece by piece. There is so much going on in this painting. All of the textures and colors give the painting a vibrant energy that almost feels musical. Think about the way she painted those tiny figures. Each one is unique, full of life. Moses wasn’t trying to be photo-realistic; she was after something more, a sense of community, a feeling of nostalgia. It's about capturing a moment, a feeling, a memory. And that, to me, is the essence of painting.