The king questions Furball about the golden spinning wheel found in his bowl of soup 1921

Margaret Evans Price created this illustration of the king questioning Furball. The scene unfolds with delicate lines and muted colors. It's as if the artist was carefully laying down each stroke, maybe even holding her breath as she painted the king’s worried face. I imagine Price, with her trained hand, probably labored over the details— the golden crown, the suspicious eyes, the ridiculous question itself! Did she know this king was going to find a golden spinning wheel? The soup is right there but the story is all in the air! She’s playing with different registers of visual language—from the sketchy fur of Furball's coat to the smooth surface of the table. Even that simple line of flowers along the tablecloth feels like a gentle reminder that beauty can be found even in the most absurd situations. The king's royal blue robe trimmed with white fur and the soup terrine are all somehow connected, each element resonating with the others. It’s a conversation across time, and each painting invites us to participate. I can see some Alice Neel and Balthus in her strange fairytale space! This painting reminds us that uncertainty and ambiguity can lead to endless discoveries.