Jon Stroup, The Gardener, 1979, oil on canvas, 39 7⁄8 x 40 1⁄8 in. (101.3 x 101.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.62
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Artwork Details
- Title
- The Gardener
- Artist
- Date
- 1979
- Location
- Dimensions
- 39 7⁄8 x 40 1⁄8 in. (101.3 x 101.9 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Figure female
- Architecture Interior — detail — window
- Architecture Interior — domestic — living room
- Object Number
- 1985.30.62
Artwork Description
In this painting, Jon Stroup emphasized the dramatic contrast between the cool shade of the interior and the heat in the garden outside. The image is representational, but the windows, plants, and shadows create abstract patterns that are as interesting as the figures. The dark figure on the right could be a statue or a person, watching the gardener from the shadows, and this, together with the strange plants gazing in the window, transforms the naturalistic painting into something more disquieting.