Artwork of the Week: October 20
Two books rest behind two poppies, their brilliant red petals and stems standing proudly. The warm browns of the walls and table surrounding the flowers reflect a cozy atmosphere. Dorothy Weir Young’s father, J. Alden Weir, was an impressionist painter who owned a farm in Connecticut where Young was acquainted with all sorts of animal and plant life. Young followed in her father’s footsteps, studying art at the National Academy of Design in 1911 and creating a vast collection of her own works including this watercolor, a medium she excelled in, as well as Japanese inspired woodblocks and oil paintings. The gardens on her family’s property may have inspired her to create this delicate still life. She later met and married fellow artist Mahonri Young in 1931 and together they lived on the Weir family farm.
