There is so much “New England” in this painting. First, the date. Second, the flowers. And third, the ambiance.

Let’s start with number one. The town of Shrewsbury, MA was incorporated in 1727. Coming from France where towns have existed since… well, forever, I love the reminder that Shrewsbury was wilderness not that long ago. The concept of putting a date to the start of a town in Europe is unfathomable - so I love imagining the comings and goings of Puritan settlers back in 1727!

On to number two. In France, mums are placed on tombs in cemeteries on November 1, which is All Saints Day. Every French person who comes here in the fall asks the same question, “Why are there so many cemetery flowers?!?” In the US, mums aren’t associated with the celebration of the dead, but with the beauty of autumn - although it took me years to disassociate mums and cemeteries!

And lastly, all the different parts of the painting come together to be “New England” for me. The white colonial-style house with the black shutters? The warm and cool colors of autumn mixing together? The thought of early settlers next to their fireplaces, trying to establish a new society? Everything makes me think of the past and present of Shrewsbury. And I hope this painting had the ability to transport you through time like it does to me!