On the Terrace

John Henry Twachtman settled in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1889 and painted many images of his farm property. This springtime scene shows his wife, Martha, and their children on a terrace bordered by flowers and bathed in soft light. Martha rocks her newborn son while daughters Marjorie and Elsie play quietly by her side. Twachtman wanted the figures in his paintings to appear casual, and here the intimate group evokes a snapshot of family life rather than a formally posed portrait. The crisp white dresses echo the white flowers along the pathway and create an aura of innocence and purity around the young children and their mother.