Scenes of an American November: Musings on Life Imitating Art
A True Visionary: Robert K. Abbett's Nostalgic Americana Series, A Painting Anthology
“Life imitates art far more than art imitates life” — Oscar Wilde
Life Imitating Art
They say life imitates art — I now believe it.
In my living room, above my wood stove, sits a beautiful Robert K. Abbett painting of what a traditional family “Sunday Afternoon” in late fall used to look like in America.
Lately, I have often stopped to stare at the portrait for what seems like hours, because the scenes in it make me incredibly happy and nostalgic; I have also seen the exact scene play out in my neighborhood over and over again this November and it gives me hope. For one, it makes me believe in the validity of the feeling of a nostalgic American way of life that is still hanging on, but has arguably become the exception, not the rule in today’s society. Since this way of life is in fact fleeting, I make it a point to emulate that time period the best I can with the resources I have in the culture we currently live in. I mean, who doesn’t love raking up a massive pile of leaves and then jumping into them?
The Visionary, Robert K. Abbett
I enjoy Robert K. Abbett’s paintings so much that I recently looked for another for my home, and found that my “Sunday Afternoon” painting has a companion painting called “Saturday Afternoon,” that seems to be part of an old, Americana series of paintings.
I have now realized, that one must look at both paintings together to see and understand the “full picture” of family life. What I mean by full picture, is both paintings imply an older America: resilient, hard-working, self-reliant, and most importantly, a display of core family values.
“Saturday Afternoon”
The “Saturday Afternoon” painting portrays a beautiful scene of late fall in which the Father is hard at work raking, while his children play in the leaves and fill the wheel barrow, exhibiting teamwork and pride in one’s homestead by helping out with the family’s chores. Moreover, the full clothesline of garments suggests Mother has recently hung the laundry out to dry, and is perhaps now preparing lunch or supper — or maybe she is in the back raking, too? What I truly love about the painting is contemplating what the scene is trying to convey and what Robert was thinking, since it is open to one’s own subjective interpretation.
There are also so many life lessons that can be garnered from this artwork, but the one that stood out most recently to me was: it is possible to have fun and get work done (something that all of us should realize and practice more often). By playing in the leaves and also helping get a chore done, the children are learning that it is important and is possible to have fun, be responsible, and get all of the work done today so they can take part in a proper Sunday of leisure and family time — put in the time and investment now so you’ll have a nice payoff tomorrow.
“Sunday Afternoon”
The “Sunday Afternoon” painting is my favorite of the two as it implies what a traditional Sunday used to be: a day of uninterrupted family time and a spiritual day. A ten-speed bicycle sits against the trunk of a beautiful maple tree, a sailboat is being winterized next to the quintessential New England red barn as a wood stove lifts smoke into the cool air, an American flag flies gracefully in the front of the house, while Mother, Father, and all of the kids and the English Setter, a true family dog, all enjoy a wholesome game of frisbee.
I like to wonder, as time sits still, what else was going on that day in which inspired the painting? Was apple pie wafting from the kitchen while the local radio narrated the score of the local baseball team?
It is an amazing and similar comparison; the two portraits — you can see the Saturday painting is almost fragmented and a little bit chaotic, while the Sunday portrait is clear, unhurried, and calm: the way a proper Sunday should be.
So, life does imitate art: I am now a true believer.
Our Own Saturday Chores and Sunday Respite
“The [fall] day is an epitome of the year. The night is the winter, the morning and evening are the spring and fall, and the noon is the summer” — Henry David Thoreau
See you next week — until then make your own beautiful memories this fall, Old Man Winter is almost here — cheers!
—Brendan, Modern Renaissance Man
Brendan Martin Coyne is an award-winning writer, voracious reader, avid outdoorsman, artisan woodcarver, hack gardener, and scratch cook. In his spare time, he is a novice hunter, mediocre fisherman, bourbon enthusiast, and loves anything to do with a beach or being immersed in nature with his family.