One of the things I remember most about spending an afternoon with my great grandparents, Carl and Mildred Strand, was a black and white print hanging on their wall in the living room. It was of a young woman, standing on a porch, staring out as a man on a horse came riding up the road. I remember saying I thought the woman was in love and she was waiting for a letter from her boyfriend, or her boyfriend was the one on the horse. I was around 10 at the time. I remember Mildred saying she thought the same. That the woman was in love and waiting for her intended. Then my grandmother Viola spoke up and said she just thought the rider was the mailman bringing the mail. No love involved. Mildred and I laughed together, agreeing we were more romantic about the young woman than Viola.
You can see the print in the above picture. What or who was the woman waiting for? Where did the print come from? So many questions.
After Carl and Mildred's passing, I learned the print went to their granddaughter Colleen. It had actually belonged to Colleen's mother, Marylaine initially. Marylaine had moved out on her own and was living in Kalamazoo, I think. She found it in a closet and hung it up. Later, when she moved, she gave it to Carl and Mildred and Mildred hung it in the living room where it stayed for years. After corresponding with Colleen, it turns out that Mildred and I were right about the young woman.
The name of the painting is, "Love's Young Dream." It was painted by Jennie Brownscombe in 1887. Jennifer Brownscombe was born in Pennsylvania in 1850. She moved to New York where she studied art and painting, later traveling to Paris and Europe where she studied and gained attention. She's best known for historical genre paintings, the best-known being "The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth" which hangs in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She's also known for idealized, romantic visions of rural life, of which "Love's Young Dream" is an example of. The young woman is waiting for her intended to come on horseback. Her mother is gazing up at her, and her father is wholly unconcerned. Below is a copy of the print in color.
I'm really glad Marylaine found this picture, and even happier she gave it to Mildred, where it eventually found its way back to Colleen.
I always liked looking at that picture when we were at grandma and grandpa's.
ReplyDeleteI like the tuxedo cat sitting at her feet.
Glad Colleen has it now
Yes, the cat is a nice touch. It's a painting that you can make stories up about. The artist herself never married, but she did live with a male companion for several years.
DeleteSo fun that you tracked down this print! One of the first essays I ever published, back when I was a baby writer, started and ended with a meditation on this picture. I'd send a link but the magazine has closed up shop--I'll email you a pdf!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Everyone seems to remember this print. It may not be a great work of art, but it's definitely intriguing.
Delete