The Dining Room Table 1919

Frank Benson's "The Dining Room Table" is a party with blacks and greys, with a teal tablecloth, and spots of bright, warm colours. Can you see how the artist added glazes over glazes, each stroke building depth, and pushing and pulling the composition in multiple directions? I can imagine Benson, brush in hand, feeling his way through this scene. What did the parrot mean to him? Why is it there? Was the parrot a loved companion, a symbol of something more, or simply a pop of life against the dark, muted tones? He was probably having a conversation with Chardin, who was having a conversation with all the still life painters that came before him. He probably knew that the real subject of painting is always painting itself. The real still life isn't the fruit, but the conversations between colors and textures. Benson's not just painting fruit and a bird; he’s painting light, air, and the way we perceive the world. What a show-off!