Apple Parer c. 1939

Regina Henderer painted this apple parer, likely with watercolor, and maybe some graphite or ink on paper. It’s a simple machine, but Regina gives it such tender care, I wonder what it must have meant to her? It's a beautiful object and a testament to rural life. With its muted browns and grays, the painting's palette evokes a sense of nostalgia and simplicity, a quiet, intimate meditation on the past. It is a still life, but there is also something architectural about it. The wood is lovingly rendered. The base is cracked, worn down from use. Perhaps Regina remembers using a similar contraption as a child in the kitchen. It would have been slow, methodical work. Artists like Regina often go unnoticed by the so-called mainstream art world. The fact that she painted this means she wanted to spend time with it, she was curious about it, and she valued it. That is enough for me.