Gardeners (Les Jardiniers). Gustave Caillebotte. 1875-1877. Private collection. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain.
By Nina Heyn – Your Culture Scout
Until about the end of WWII, if you lived in a house or at least in a ground-floor apartment, chances were that you had some sort of kitchen garden space. If you were lucky enough to have a slightly larger piece of property—say, a freestanding house in the countryside—then a back-door kitchen garden was inevitable and a daily source of fresh food because there wouldn't be any grocery store on the corner. Farmland and gardens would be everywhere to see, and even the smallest vegetable plot might look picturesque enough for a painter. And yet, until about the 19th century, paintings of kitchen gardens and fields were not that common.
Gardens are some of the few places where sanity remains in this world even today. Such a nice article. Morisot’s “The Cherry Tree” is a stunner. She captured a moment of brilliance center canvas where you see the complexity of 4 components in perfect balance..the right hand of the basket holder, the basket, ladder leg and fabric of the cherry picker’s dress. That’s talent and beyond…those of us who paint realize we are just trying after seeing a work of art such as this one!
delightful. my kitchen garden now has several lemon and lime trees.
Always wanted a lemon tree. Tried growing them in Tennessee indoors. Someday I will live closer to the equator!
lest dipping the gourd seem a remote possibility, check out the Lower Bois d’Arc reservoir in North Texas & the 1st of two 92″ pipelines being laid to supply our not so distant future
A campaign to not permit lawn irrigation where developers are converting farmland into housing subdivisions may be wise