Stir Crazy Already? Feast Your Eyes on 20 Works of Art That Celebrate the Joys of Being at Home

As the global health crisis continues to heighten, we may be all
be looking at spending quite a bit of time at home and indoors in
the coming days—or maybe longer.

With New York City instituting a ban on gatherings of more than
500 people and many offices enacting work-from- home policies, that
reality is already here for many in the Metropolitan area.

If the idea of not being able to leave the house makes you stir
crazy, we’ve put together a selection of artworks to set your mind
at ease. Each of these works—some historical, some
contemporary—serves as a reminder of the quietly enjoyable ways of
passing time of home, such as reading a book, playing board games,
and indulging in a midnight snack.

Although it may feel isolating, staying in is at least a
sure-fire way to keep from getting sick, or passing the illness on
to those who are most vulnerable. Wishing everyone good health—or a
speedy recovery—in these trying times.

Pierre Bonnard, Nude in the
Bath (1925)

Pierre Bonnard’s muse Marthe bathed to soothe herself during a
longstanding illness. You too may want to try a nice long soak in
the tub, as in Bonnard’s Nude in the Bath at the Tate
in London.

March Avery, Bedtime
Story (1989)

This intimate March Avery painting reminds us why it’s always
important to read to your kids. (We also couldn’t think of any
great paintings of children glued to their iPad.)

Jean Honoré Fragonard,
Young Girl
Reading (circa 1769)

Find a good book for yourself, like this girl in a Jean
Honoré Fragonard painting from the National Gallery of Art in
Washington, DC.

Rosemarie Trockel,
Living Means Not Good Enough (2002)

If you’re anything like the subject of this Rosemarie Trockel
photograph, we’re guessing you’ve already got quite a backlog of
reading material to work through.

Aliza Nisenbaum, La Talaverita, Sunday Morning NY
Times (2016)

In these uncertain times, it’s important to stay up to date on
current events. But can we suggest curling up with the
Sunday Times, rather than the maelstrom that is cable
news? These pieces by Aliza Nisenbaum—this one and the one at
top—both from last year’s Whitney Biennial, makes a lazy weekend
morning at home look practically idyllic.

John Singer Sargent, The Daughters of Edward Darley
Boit (1882)

The schools aren’t all closed yet, but it seems more and more
likely you’ll be home with the kids in no time. Yes, there’s the
risk of cabin fever, but hopefully your children will be as poised
and serene as the girls in this John Singer Sargent masterpiece at
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Shona McAndrew, Asia
(2019)

If you’re holing up in your apartment this weekend, consider the
freeing possibilities of lounging in your underwear. Another plus
side? Easy access to the fridge. Shona McAndrew’s beautifully
detailed late-night scene shows a fully-stocked larder—probably
belonging to one who braved those shopping market lines before
settling in for the long haul.

Marianne Stokes, Candlemas Day
(circa 1901)

Many people are turning to prayer as the crisis continues to
grow around the world. Time alone at home will provide time with
the rosary and the Bible, as in Marianne Stoke’s
contemplative Candlemas Day, from the Tate—or
reconnect with your own personal faith traditions. There’s also
meditation, for those who aren’t religious.

Jan Steen, Woman at Her
Toilet (1663)

Like this Jan Steen scene at Buckingham Palace, we’ll all
probably lounge around in a state of partial undress, bed unmade
and belongings scattered about our increasingly untidy homes.

David Hockney, My Parents
(1977)

David Hockney’s famous 1977 canvas of his parents, housed at the
Tate in London, presents a quiet domestic moment, a long-married
couple enjoying their golden years. It’s also a reminder that we
don’t have to wear pajamas and sweatpants the whole time we’re
home.

Jordan Casteel, Kimmah
(2019)

If you’re focused on comfort, just kick off your shoes and
relax, like Kimmah in this Jordan Casteel
portrait. (And don’t think about the news.)

Arcmanoro
Niles, Bad Kid, It Wasn’t Love (Like My Daddy’s the
Devil), 2018

Expect to eat at home for the time being—but mealtime can still
be special if you set the table and dine as a family. We love the
birthday cake and candles in this depiction of a child in the
dining room by Arcmanoro Niles.

Mary Cassatt, 
Little Girl in a Blue
Armchair (1878)

If you’re going to be bored, at least be comfortable. This Mary
Cassatt portrait, also from the National Gallery of Art, is a
classic interior scene.

Hilary Pecis, Harper’s
Game (2019)

This is a great time to break out board games to fight the
inevitable boredom of being cooped up inside. And Hilary Pecis’s
cozy painting Harper’s Games is also a reminder, for
those of us lucky enough to have a collection, to appreciate our
works of art in the home, since we we can’t get out to museums.

Johannes Vermeer, Woman in Blue Reading a Letter
(1663–64)

The Rijksmuseum’s Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, one
of Johannes Vermeer’s most beautiful works, is a visual love letter
to the lost art of mailed correspondence. Maybe we’ll all get
good at letter writing—or at least sending nice, thoughtful,
personal emails—while we can’t go out to see our friends and
family.

Destiny Belgrave, After the Christening
(2019)

This delicate cut paper work, a standout at last week’s
SPRING/BREAK Art Show, is typical of the work of Destiny Belgrave,
who aims to celebrate strong female family bonds in her quiet
domestic scenes.

Auguste Renoir, Two Young Girls at the
Piano (1892)

If you or a family member or roommate are musically inclined,
consider an impromptu singalong or performance. This famous Auguste
Renoir canvas, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, speaks to the
joys of learning to play the piano.

Nikki Maloof,
Separation Anxiety (2018)

And you know who’s always happy to have you at home? Your dogs.
We like to imagine this delightful canine in Nikki
Maloof’s Separation Anxiety is greeting its returning
owner, not knowing they’re about to have way more
time together.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec,
Le Lit (In Bed), 1882

And lest we forget, there’s endless pleasure in cuddling up in
bed, as perfectly illustrated in this Henri de Toulous-Lautrec
painting. Get some rest and stay healthy, everyone!

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Art That Celebrate the Joys of Being at Home appeared first on
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