Early Morning Garden 1957

Perle Fine made this painting, Early Morning Garden, using a limited palette of blacks, whites, and grays to evoke the feeling of a garden. Look at how the paint has been applied; some areas are thick and opaque, while others are thin and almost transparent. You can see how Fine layered the paint, building up the surface with different strokes and textures. Note, in the lower left corner, a cluster of energetic marks, like a burst of foliage. It’s like she’s capturing the essence of growth and movement in the garden. I see a dialogue between abstraction and representation, not unlike Franz Kline's work. Ultimately, though, the painting remains open to interpretation, inviting us to bring our own experiences and associations to it.