A Womans' Place (at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona)

When visiting the National Museum in Barcelona, it's very easy to realize that the art therein has significant value  -- just by the very nature of the National Palace in which it is housed.

I am not the ideal museum visitor by any stretch of the imagination.  My eye is untrained and my brain is even less trained in the intricacies of fully appreciating art. So, I tend to alternate between staring at a painting (or other art piece) for far too long and flitting through rooms within a museum once visually overloaded, until something else catches my eye.  At which time, I once again begin staring (relatively) dumbly at the painting or piece.  

In the end, only a few paintings or art pieces will stick in my memory and I need a camera and photographs to even achieve that milestone.  This one, by Roberto Fernández Balbuena painted in 1930 became one of my memorable memories for my visit to the National Museum.  It reminds me of how little is different across cultures and across history with regard to women's role in everyday life.

It's not so much the ironing that catches my attention (and the accompanying message about a woman's place being in the home) but the expression on this woman's face. The everyday toil, the endless chores, the fatigue -- all hallmarks of many adult women's lives, even with all the "modern conveniences" of the twenty first century. 

It just looks different now.  While new fabrics have all but eliminated the need to iron, over scheduling and the many additional "opportunities" offered by modern technology have taken its place.  Often, when I see a woman in public look up from her phone for a second or two, I see this same expression.  Rarely, do I see relaxed expressions or carefree smiles among all the people I pass by in my daily commute.   And, especially so for women.   

When I found this painting, my phone was buried in my backpack somewhere and I had a moment to relax and to ponder the powerful message embedded in the talent and technique it took for the artist to create it.  

I left my phone buried in its place for the rest of my visit.