Toy Bank: Donkey and House by Jennie Kamar

Toy Bank: Donkey and House c. 1942

0:00
0:00

drawing, watercolor

# 

drawing

# 

watercolor

# 

watercolour illustration

# 

miniature

Dimensions: overall: 30.5 x 40.7 cm (12 x 16 in.)

Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0

Jennie Kamar made this watercolor of a toy bank of a donkey and a house. I can just imagine the way she would have felt painting this little guy, this little donkey, this little house, looking so solid and still, and perhaps a little bit lonely. It's all cool greys and browns, making it look like a cloudy day. The house is solid, but the roof looks like it's melting. The donkey is stuck on the side, in service to the house. I wonder what the narrative is? Is this a commentary on labor and capital? Is the donkey being forced to work? I find myself focusing on that roof – the drips and blooms, the water bleeding into the paper, and the way the light hits the side of the donkey. The whole thing has the quality of a memory, a moment that’s fading. That's what the best painting does.

Show more

Comments

No comments

Be the first to comment and join the conversation on the ultimate creative platform.