The House that Jack Built 1992

Peter Doig created "The House that Jack Built" as part of his exploration into the psychological depths of landscape and memory. Doig’s identity as a Trinidadian-Scottish artist emerges in his dreamlike depictions, blending personal history with cultural imagination. In this painting, we see a structure that isn't quite a home, caught between reality and dream. The rough brickwork grounds us, but above, a surreal sky looms, mirroring the ambiguity of home and belonging. The house, a central motif in Doig's work, acts as both a personal refuge and a symbol of broader social questions about settlement and displacement. Doig once described his paintings as "trying to make something that looks like it has its own history.” "The House that Jack Built," in its evocative incompleteness, resonates as a poignant reflection on how we construct our personal narratives and societal spaces.