Linens on the Line

"La Biancheria" - John Singer Sargent  Watercolor 1910


Laundry Day!

Loving all things vintage,
I especially have fond memories of
 taking the laundry down from the clothes line.

The chore itself had no great attraction
but there was something magical
about the scent of the items
after they were dried by wind and sun.

Ready to be folded and returned to their stations
 in drawers, closets and armoires,
the clothes retained that lingering outdoor scent
 that only Mother Nature can provide.

This watercolor by John Singer Sargent
 is currently part of a Sargent watercolor exhibit
 at the Brooklyn Museum.
The artist is famously known for his portraits
 of the affluent Edwardian ladies and gents of his time.

His talent went far beyond those iconic renderings.
Sometimes it is in the most simple of life's daily actions
 that creative talent may depict the greatest beauty.

There is a movement to return to the days of old,
reduce our carbon footprint and
hang the laundry once again.

Not for everyone, for certain.
But inhaling those crisp and clean scents
 are still a wonderful ending to such a perpetual chore.