A Conjugal Difference
1884
gouache
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1884
gouache
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
A Conjugal Difference is a 1884 gouache by Arthur B. Frost, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
A small, rough wooden cabin shows two people inside. One man stands near the wall, hands clasped, looking down. A woman sits on the floor in the corner, wrapped in a tattered blanket. The floor is bare wood, with a few scattered tools and a metal pot. Light comes through cracks in the walls, casting shadows. The man’s posture suggests worry, while the woman seems exhausted. The painting uses soft, earthy colors to show their worn clothes and the cabin’s simple, worn-out look. Look up Realism next to see how artists showed everyday life this way.
