While I was at the Met last month, I came across a number of wonderful artists about whom I knew relatively nothing. This is another of those. These are the paintings by Fairfield Porter, who captured everyday scenes and made them magical. When I wandered into the room were his work was hung, I was immediately struck by how warm and comforting they felt, like memories viewed through the most generous of lenses.

Though he was born into privilege, Porter’s everyday work doesn’t feel to me out of touch or elitist. Instead, I think he was often successful at finding common experiences to which we could all relate. Of course, his paid portraits are another story, but the man had to eat!

You can read all about Porter on TheArtStory.org.