Farmer From Ins At Table 1908

Albrecht Anker made "Farmer From Ins At Table" with watercolors, and you can almost feel the process in the final piece. There's something so delicate and intentional about the way Anker built up these thin washes of color, especially in the farmer's face. The way the light hits his brow, and the soft wrinkles around his eyes, it's all done with such a light touch. You can see the paper underneath, which gives it this airy, dreamlike quality. I keep coming back to the hands resting on the table, which have a life of their own. They tell a story of hard work and a life lived close to the earth. Anker reminds me of artists like Winslow Homer, who also had this incredible ability to capture the quiet moments of everyday life. Like them, Anker seems to be saying that even in the simplest scenes, there's beauty, complexity, and so much to be discovered.