Take a close look at this painting. How would you describe the person depicted? What might she be thinking?
There is a crystal bowl on the table that is filled with molasses —or, for short, ‘lasses–and she has some of it on her spoon. She looks in our direction with a playful smile, perhaps at us or at someone else who stands looking at her. Whoever it is has perhaps implied they’re about to kiss her; perhaps her response is the same as the title of the painting: Kiss me and you’ll kiss the ‘lasses. What might she mean by this phrase?
Notice the way the woman is dressed, her surroundings, and what she is doing. Where does this scene take place? What was the woman doing before we interrupted her? What time of year might this be? The arched top of the painting suggests we are standing in a doorway, and interior furniture and decor suggests the scene takes place in the nineteenth century;, in fact, this painting dates from 1856. On the table near the woman, there are various pieces of kitchen equipment. The cherries, raspberries, grapes, pineapples, and pears—not to mention the woman’s own short-sleeved dress—suggest that this moment is taking place in the summer. Notice that in the woman’s right hand there are peelings from a piece of fruit she has been slicing—it is likely that she is making fruit preserves for the winter months ahead. Her clothes and jewelry suggest that this woman is the “lady of the house”—the wife of the head of the household.
Notice the open door leading to a darkened room on the upper left. There is a small table with a tablecloth, some comfortable chairs, and an oval portrait on the wall. Perhaps the portrait is of the woman standing before us. If you look closely, you can see that the woman in the portrait has a similar hairdo.
This is a genre painting, or a painting of everyday activities that shows a “slice of life.”. Genre paintings were quite popular in the mid-nineteenth century. Women in genre paintings were often depicted doing “woman’s work,” and the creator of this painting, Lily Martin Spencer, has injected this subject of this work with the agency to look back at us, tease us, perhaps even threaten us with the molasses on her spoon. Middle and upper-class women were the primary purchasers of paintings as part of their responsibility for decorating the home in this time period. Many enjoyed Spencer’s work because it reflected their own world, but with a bit of fun and humor. Spencer herself was a professional painter, mother of eight and a wife, and the sole breadwinner for her family. Her husband helped by stretching canvases, making frames, and taking care of the household. They were a very atypical mid-nineteenth century family.
Think about your daily activities. What might a genre painter depict you doing? What would you want to tell the viewer? Share your reflections on what such a genre painting in 2021 might depict in the replies.
Lilly Martin Spencer (American, born England, 1822-1902). Kiss Me and You’ll Kiss the ‘Lasses, 1856. Oil on canvas. Brooklyn Museum, A. Augustus Healy Fund, 70.26
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