House of Fire

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (the USA).

In the later period of the creative career of James Rosenquist, political themes, especially anti-war, started appearing. Even though everyday things, a bucket, a grocery bag and lipstick, are depicted, the painting causes a feeling of threat and aggression. The bucket, which the artist placed in the center, glows with a scarlet light as if there was hot metal inside, and lipsticks lined up in several rows, resembling muzzles of weapons ready to shoot. Even such a peaceful object as a cardboard bag of food froze in the air, and it seems that objects will sprinkle from it at the next moment, turning into bombs. Using this allegory, the author wanted to demonstrate that a war that takes place somewhere far away could come to ordinary Americans at any moment, break into their home and destroy their normal life.