The somber, dark feeling evoked through Gertude Abercrombie’s paintings at the Carnegie Museum of Art was something that immediately caught my attention. Strangely, the feeling evoked by her series of paintings is one that I think many people are familiar with. The paintings often illustrate the feeling and look of self reflection with figures depicting herself in distinct situations, in addition to disoriented and mysterious elements resembling the ones one may see in a dream. In dreams, everything real and unreal comes together to create a scene of confusion and ambiguous meaning with moods of reflection and isolation, which she is able to convey through the canvas. Her collection, referred to as The Whole World Is a Mystery is encountered by walking through thick curtains into a dimly lit room, with her paintings hung on the walls of a snug hall. This display of her pieces elevates the mysterious element that she tries to include in her work, and almost makes you feel like you are in one of her paintings. One of the most interesting paintings is Out In The Country (1939), for the way it captures a very relatable moment to onlookers, one of solitude and meditation. The painting depicts a young girl with her hair down in a simple short blue dress, lying in a field of grass near a farm. The sky appears to be turning from soft bright blue to a rainy gray, or possibly it is the other way around, however there is no sun in sight. Throughout the mostly barren landscape, there are seven large trees with thick, sturdy trunks, and smaller plants sprouting from the grass as well. Near her, there are a handful of white chickens pecking at the grass in search of food, and in the far background is a small farm estate with a house, likely belonging to her or her family. Abercrombie uses darker, muted colors in this work with the exception of the girl’s blue dress which is the same bright blue as the bit of sky peeking through the gray. This brighter color could symbolize the feelings the girl is having, of innocence or joy possibly slipping away into the darkness of the sky, or vice versa, could mean that they are emerging back after a storm. The tone evoked in this piece is reflective. It is evident that for the girl, most likely representing Abercrombie in her younger years, this is an afternoon in which she has chosen to isolate herself in a simple area of her land and think about what might be occurring in her life. The unclearness about where she is looking can reveal that she is possibly simply looking at the chickens, observing what they are doing. Most likely however, she is zoned out, daydreaming about something occurring in her life. The position and clothing she is in, resembles what a person might look like when lying on a bed or couch. Therefore, when focusing on the dream-like appeal of her paintings, it can be inferred that in reality she is in the comfort of her room, imagining what it may feel like to lie in a field of grass. The farm seems to be very isolated from any other form of property, creating a lonely mood, something she may have struggled with at one point or is trying to represent for others who crave connection or livelihood beyond their reality. Out In The Country is a painting that portrays a recurring moment just about everyone experiences, sitting with one’s thoughts for a determined period of time, and imagining all types of things. Maybe reminiscing about the past, or wondering about the future, or her purpose in life, or possibly how she will get the chickens back to the farm, there are a million distinct thoughts that could be flowing through her head, yet it is in not knowing, that the concept of ambiguity can be appreciated. An onlooker of the painting could imagine that the girl lying in the field is reflecting on the same thing as they are in their lives, and identify themselves with her, creating a bit of a solution to the lonely aspect.
Another one of her works following the pattern of self reflection, is a piece titled Self Portrait (1940), one of Abercrombie’s better known paintings, as it is explicitly stated to be of herself. In it, she is standing in the nighttime, next to a table. She is wearing a black and white striped blouse with a black skirt, and a small black hat. Her expression is tired and serious, and her hand is hanging over a cup of purple grapes, holding one, the light shining through the window to reveal what she is doing appears to be from the moon. Outside, the sky is dark with the exception of the moon light shining by the curtain, and there is a sturdy tree seen through the glass. Her somber expression might be one indicating disappointment since she looks dressed up, yet alone. She might be contemplating something in her mind, or just zoned out while eating as the girl in the last painting may have been while observing the chickens. The grapes and the neat clothing signify some type of higher class than the girl in the previous painting. However the same outside life remains, the tree on a barren land under a dark sky. Abercrombie in this painting might be wondering what her life should be made up of, trying to find purpose or meaning where she stands, maybe unfulfilled with the way she is currently living. A prominent part of this piece is the unusual striped blouse, which brings a certain uniformity to the scene. The contrasting black and white represent light and darkness, a dream-like element in a quiet scene. This could even be representative of confinement, since the stripes could be compared to bars, that are figuratively keeping her isolated. Both paintings overall demonstrate the theme of loneliness, just as many of her others, where she experiences feelings of contemplation or reflection, alone.
“Mysterious Stranger” – 1953
“Search for Rest” – Nile River, 1951
Two of her other paintings that also caught my attention were Search for Rest and Mysterious Stranger. In Search for Rest, the same dream-like theme is explored. There is an idea that she could be in the comfort of her own room, and is imagining or dreaming that she is somewhere completely different, a moonlit desert, to escape her reality. Moreover, Mysterious Stranger, definitely also incorporates a mysterious element with the dark color palette used for sky and grass, while the sidewalk and building almost pop as the bright components of the piece. The ambiguity of whether the man is leaving or arriving, and of the woman looking through the window, are also symbols of isolation and solemness. Analyzing her paintings is a worthwhile way to spend some time and provides the viewer with the opportunity to substitute personal situations into the context of the character on the canvas, giving their thoughts a chance to be illustrated visually.