Sunny Hours 1902

Frederick Morgan's oil painting, Sunny Hours, captures a mother and her two children on a sunny day in what looks like an Italian garden. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun on your face, can't you? I imagine Morgan, brush in hand, carefully layering those delicate strokes, especially on the mother's dress. What’s she thinking, I wonder, as she watches her children with such tenderness? And the girls! The child in pink, with her dress, bonnet and upturned glance...she's about to discover the secrets held within the sundial. Meanwhile, the baby totters dangerously on its surface! Morgan has really nailed that sense of wobbly uncertainty that only a toddler can embody. You can see Morgan's fascination with light and texture, and the rosy hues create a sense of dreamy nostalgia, that reminds me of artists like Renoir. It's like he’s saying, "Hey, let’s slow down and appreciate these fleeting moments of happiness." And isn't that what being an artist is all about?