
Will Barnet has painted several images of mothers and children that capture intimate scenes of family life. In The Blue Thread, the verticals and horizontals of the windows, table, and chair divide the painting into neat rectangles, and Barnet positioned his daughter, her son, and the family cat so that they evoke figures from an Egyptian wall painting. The subdued tones and stylized poses transform a fleeting moment in his household into an image that feels timeless.
- Title
-
The Blue Thread
- Artist
- Date
- 1984
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 38 3⁄8 x 72 3⁄8 in. (97.4 x 83.9 cm.)
- Credit Line
-
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of Frank K. Ribelin and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Keywords
-
- Occupation – domestic – sewing
- Figure group – female and child
- Animal – cat
- Architecture Interior – detail – window
- Recreation – leisure – home life
- Object – toy
- Object Number
-
1996.72
- Palette
- Emoji
- Linked Open Data
- Linked Open Data URI