Lilly Martin Spencer (American,1822-1902),Young Husband:First Marketing 1854,oil on canvas
Spencer portrayed the unvarnished reality of male-female relationships in this painting,which chronicles the travails of early married life.Here,the unseen young wife is not in full command of her kitchen,having sent her husband out to procure the groceries-a task for which he is evidently not qualified.Using her husband as a model,Spencer depicted the man stumbling down the street and attempting to hold on to the items in his overflowing basket,attracting gazes from at least one onlooker and suffering a public humiliation.Spencer depicted in human terms a real social anxiety of the time:that of setting up a household and running it efficiently.
I know how difficult it is to carry groceries in your hand,holding a long umbrella at the same time.It drives me crazy all the time.
Lilly Martin Spencer (American,1822-1902),Young Husband:First Marketing 1854,oil on canvas
Spencer portrayed the unvarnished reality of male-female relationships in this painting,which chronicles the travails of early married life.Here,the unseen young wife is not in full command of her kitchen,having sent her husband out to procure the groceries-a task for which he is evidently not qualified.Using her husband as a model,Spencer depicted the man stumbling down the street and attempting to hold on to the items in his overflowing basket,attracting gazes from at least one onlooker and suffering a public humiliation.Spencer depicted in human terms a real social anxiety of the time:that of setting up a household and running it efficiently.
I know how difficult it is to carry groceries in your hand,holding a long umbrella at the same time.It drives me crazy all the time.