The Cook Book

Ruth Eaton Peabody
The Cook Book
Oil on canvas, 1925
32 x 40 inches
Gift of the artist
1966.003

In her early works, Ruth Eaton Peabody focused on the figure and on still lifes. The Cook Book combines both these subjects in a carefully constructed composition. The woman looks pensive, perhaps pondering what to make for dinner. Peabody employs rich coloration and an emphasis on pattern and line, which she employs to outline all the elements including the figure.