At a recent art fair I discovered the work of Ann Toebbe, who makes paint-and-collage images of domestic spaces.  I found them strangely satisfying, for all sorts of reasons.  The images are constructed out of tiny, colorful slips of paper and meticulously-rendered passages of paint or pencil or ink.   The craftsmanship drew me in, and […]

“Not at Home,” by Eastman Johnson, 1874, Brooklyn Museum of Art In this painting, the woman sneaks upstairs to avoid a visitor.  She is taking advantage of the elaborate conventions  of the late 19th-century surrounding the custom of calling.  Ladies would establish “at home” hours and therefore were duty-bound to receive all callers who came […]

What does hospitality look like?  This photograph was taken in 2002, but it depicts a meal in 1627.  This marvel of time-travel is made possible by Plimoth Plantation, a museum that recreates the settlement established by the people who came to North America on the Mayflower and other ships.  Houses were among the first structures […]