Bathtub and Cat

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Pinto created this work using an ancient technique called reverse glass painting. The scene captures a destroyed home in the aftermath of an explosion. Among the scattered remnants of daily life are a framed portrait, a lone boot, and a mirrored hall tree that reflects a bathtub, inexplicably filled with water. A black cat stands entranced by two goldfish, possibly a reference to the work of Henri Matisse. Pinto painted this during World War II, which saw an unprecedented civilian death toll with millions of homes destroyed through strategic bombing.

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