Mammy 1924

Archibald Motley made this oil painting called ‘Mammy’, and immediately I wonder about the layers of meaning that went into the making of it. Look at how the blues and whites of her patterned dress just kinda melt into the soft, creamy background. It’s like he’s built up the figure through washes of color, each stroke a decision, a revision, a little correction. I can imagine Motley standing in front of the canvas, squinting, stepping back, then lunging forward again with his brush, trying to capture something essential. And those hands! Holding the basket of goodies, they're painted with such care and sensitivity. It makes me think about all the hands that have held a brush, all the paintings that have come before, all the conversations artists are having with each other, across time and space. It’s not just about representation, it’s about feeling, about being in the world.