A10: Massachusetts Dining Room, 1795 c. 1940

Narcissa Niblack Thorne made this miniature Massachusetts Dining Room around 1940, and you can see it here. It's all about creating a world in miniature, with careful attention to every single detail. Look closely, and you'll notice that everything, from the furniture to the wall coverings, has texture, color and a story to tell. The paint is thin, allowing the textures of the tiny objects to come through. There's a sense of depth, like you could step right into this scene. My eye keeps being drawn to the rug, whose complex design reminds me that art is an ongoing conversation across time. The colors are muted and blend into the general feeling of the scene, and yet, as the largest surface in the image, it holds the space together. Thorne's work reminds me of Joseph Cornell’s boxes, in that they both find ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world anew. In both cases, there is plenty of room for multiple interpretations.