Granny 1907

Editor: Here we have Helene Schjerfbeck's "Granny," painted in 1907. It's an oil painting, and I'm really drawn to the subdued color palette. What strikes you most about it? Curator: Well, consider the materiality itself. Schjerfbeck uses visible brushstrokes and a limited color range to depict not just a woman, but also a sense of austerity and resilience. How might the availability of specific pigments at the time influenced the artwork’s appearance, and the artist’s intention to emphasize certain qualities through the color? Editor: That’s a great point. I hadn’t thought about pigment availability. How would this influence the way that ‘granny’ would have been perceived by audiences during the artist’s time versus now? Curator: Precisely. We must also explore the societal context. The artist’s choice to represent an aging, working-class woman as the subject speaks volumes. In this context, how does Schjerfbeck's treatment of the sitter relate to prevailing notions of labor, aging, and womanhood at the beginning of the 20th century? The application of oil paint would make this accessible to some, but unavailable to other viewers and creators, impacting the democratization of portraiture. Editor: So, the materials and the social conditions are tightly intertwined... that’s interesting. What else would you highlight about its making? Curator: Look closely at the visible brushstrokes. Does that rapid brush technique relate to other industrial methods used for painting, how would that technique contribute to the feeling that time is transient and irreversible? Editor: It gives a sense of immediacy, I guess. Thinking about it all, it reveals how ‘craft’ and labor, and socioeconomic status played a role in creating it. Thanks! Curator: And thank you. I hope we've inspired some to think deeper about how "Granny" functions as an object deeply embedded in its material and historical reality.