Vegetable Garden 1942

Curator: Micaela Eleutheriade painted this Modernist oil on canvas titled “Vegetable Garden” in 1942. Editor: Immediately, I feel an immense connection to the land. The color palette is grounded, earthy. But there's also this almost childlike innocence to the execution. Curator: Well, during World War II, cultivating personal gardens was almost an act of resistance and a reaffirmation of life. So that naivety might speak to a powerful undercurrent of hope. It embodies a sort of feminist manifesto about self-sustainability during social and economic precarity. Editor: That context makes me consider the garden shed tucked away in the left corner. Sheds are traditionally masculine spaces, right? Does this symbol disrupt gendered conventions? It could mean her ability to make things from start to finish, literally growing them in her "landscape". Curator: It's an interesting juxtaposition. Given Eleutheriade’s personal biography, being forced into exile from her homeland after WWI, it makes this scene far more symbolic of claiming autonomy in a world of constant shifting borders. A personal sanctuary where her values and needs came first. Editor: Looking again at those rows of cultivated land… the plants carry a psychological weight, like sentinels or protectors. And that single white cabbage in the centre seems to stand for all other elements, which can point to innocence in contrast to any coming war elements and worries, but is mostly peaceful. Curator: Her art definitely sits between visual pleasure and social commentary, especially if you consider the cultural upheaval of the era. In this particular historical, sociopolitical environment, Eleutheriade is actively responding to conflict and destruction, she takes a powerful pro-survivalist stance through her focus on the earth, plants, nature, and a retreat space where she can grow her ideas and be on her own terms. Editor: It is quite beautiful. Seeing how such a seemingly simple, modest painting radiates a wealth of both obvious and not-so-obvious meaning leaves me in awe. Curator: Absolutely, by studying and interpreting “Vegetable Garden” via these interdisciplinary routes, it offers critical dialogue, thus enriching our cultural experience.