Noonday Sun

You can almost feel the middle-of the-day heat on this one; grab a glass of water and let your eyes drink it in. In "A Gallery of Paintings," Clark Hulings said about this work: "The painter must paint values as the eye sees them, one by one, if he is to achieve the effect of actual light," and "The colors reflected into the shadows on a white wall are warm towards the earth and cool toward the sky."

Note also the pop of contrasting color offered by the red geraniums, and the story of the lady walking with the little boy. There's an older boy facing them: are they coming home to him? Is it time for lunch or a siesta? Did the little guy run away, and is he getting brought home? This slice of life from Spain shows Hulings' masterful ability to render light and shadow, and his compassionate witness to a little moment in a relationship.