Apple Blossoms II 1974

Fairfield Porter captured these apple blossoms with paint, probably in a single session of concentrated looking. I imagine Porter outside, squinting at the light, and just going for it, trying to pin down the fugitive beauty of the blossoms. The colors are so specific, the way he’s got that pale pink against the green, it’s so luscious. He’s not trying to be fussy, but the details are all there, those yellow centers of the flowers, for example. He’s saying something about the everyday beauty we often overlook, the stuff right in front of us. He painted a lot of landscapes and domestic scenes, sort of in the tradition of Vuillard and Bonnard, but with a more American, democratic sensibility. Like, beauty isn’t just in fancy interiors, it’s also in your backyard. And he’s having a conversation with those guys, pushing it forward, like, "Yeah, I see you, but check this out." Ultimately, it’s the process, this ongoing exchange between artists, that keeps the whole thing alive.