Garden of Allah 1918

This is "Garden of Allah," by Maxfield Parrish, and I’m betting he made it with oil paint and a dedication to layering. Look at how Parrish builds up the surface! There’s this whole world created with light and shadow. See that vase on the left? It's like the sun is kissing it. I'm into the dreamy palette; those golds and peaches are so warm. It's a sunny day, a languid kind of light you can almost feel on your skin. Parrish’s approach is about building up layers of glazes, almost like he's constructing a reality bit by bit. This piece reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper, both creating worlds that feel a little staged, a little too perfect, but still utterly compelling. They both knew how to make light do the heavy lifting.