Hoosick Valley (From the Window) 1946

Grandma Moses painted "Hoosick Valley (From the Window)" using oil on canvas. At a time when the art world was dominated by abstract expressionism, Moses offered a nostalgic view of rural America through her folk art style. Let's consider the perspective offered in this piece. The window frame acts as both a physical and metaphorical frame, positioning the viewer inside while looking out at the landscape. Moses’s folksy landscapes often depict scenes of everyday life, which offer a romanticized view of rural life, harking back to simpler times. Yet, this representation is itself a construction, carefully curated and intentionally selective. By emphasizing the beauty of the natural world and the harmony of rural communities, Moses’s paintings tend to downplay the hardships and social inequalities that were also part of rural life. Moses once said, “I paint from the top down. First the sky, then the mountains, then the hills, then the houses, then the trees, then the people.” This technique reflects her intuitive approach to painting, prioritizing an overall impression rather than precise detail. In her work, we find both an echo of and a departure from traditional landscape painting. While sharing an appreciation for the beauty of nature, she also invites us to consider the social and cultural values embedded in our perception of the American landscape, prompting us to examine our own nostalgia for the past.