Reading Farmer Sitting By The Tiled Stove 1907

Albrecht Anker made this watercolour, "Reading Farmer Sitting By The Tiled Stove" in 1907. It's all about light, isn’t it? The way that warm light drapes across his jacket, and the cool light illuminates the newspaper. Anker must have been excited by the way watercolour behaves, all those loose and flowing forms that build up to become something solid. Look at his hands. The thin washes of colour and loose brushstrokes create form, while at the same time letting the whiteness of the paper peep through. This is what gives the painting its luminous glow. The texture of the paper itself becomes part of the painting. The lines on his face, and the details of the pipe, are all built up with these delicate marks. This reminds me of Winslow Homer. Like Homer, Anker isn’t afraid of telling simple stories with a quiet dignity. Maybe that’s why I find this old farmer so compelling.