Pinks, Peaches, and the PMA

When I went to the the PMA recently, the room that I felt most inclined to write about was The Alice Jones Eshleman and William Thomas Vogt Gallery. Every room in the Museum is worth writing about, but there was something very comforting in the colors that occupied this room. It featured fresh and warm paintings of sunny days and serene young women by artists Morisot, Renior, and Cassatt. Each one was framed in gold. On the far end of the room sat a sculpture by Renior, appropriately named The Large Washerwoman. This large, black sculpture created an interesting contrast to the warm colors of the surrounding paintings. The room is full of rosy pinks, peaches, and bright greens, and blues. Walking through that room was like walking into spring. The subject matter, consisting of tranquil young girls, reclining young women and bathers, does much to contribute to this vibe. Being a busy art student in the cold and harsh atmosphere of the city, maybe that’s what attracted me so much to this room. I envied the girls in those paintings. Their world was forever bright and carefree. My life must have been that carefree at some point. Probably when I was very young. I have a faint memory of glowing green grass, a blooming flower garden, and miniature sundresses. It’ll be spring again soon, but it is doubtful my springs and summers will ever be as carefree as they were in those times. I admire Renoir’s pieces in particular. His style is so soft, smooth, and blended. Morisot’s brush strokes are less subtle but still flow in a way that doesn’t subtract from the paintings calming nature. The women in his paintings are fair and dainty. There is no dramatic backstory to these portraits. They are charming paintings, and together they create a very peaceful room. If only life were as simple as they are portrayed in these pieces.