Orange harvest

Item

Title
Orange harvest
Description
This arpillera depicts a lovely scene of an orange harvest. Depicted in the arpillera are the Andes mountains, the sun, three houses, two orange trees and three people picking the oranges. There are a variety of types of fabric, such as linen and cotton. Most of the fabric has no pattern except the roof of a house, the wheelbarrow and a dress. The fabric seems to have come from the hem of an embroidered fabric, perhaps a handkerchief or the end of a sleeve. The other patterned fabric used is in the dress of the woman and is likely made of a person’s clothes. Also used is embroidery thread in a multitude of colors. The embroidery thread is used to add flowers, borders, and add small details like the face of a person. Fabric scraps are often used since many arpilleristas did not have the means to buy nicer fabrics.

There are several themes that are also seen in other arpilleras, such as the mountains and the sun. Not only do the Andes ground the scene in a physical location, but they are also symbolically seen as a symbol of strength and stability. The sun is also present, almost in the center of the sky. The sun is seen as a symbol of hope and light, and it shines brightly in this scene. You can almost feel the heat of this summer day and the potential promise of a nice, juicy orange for lunch. We do not know when the arpillera was created, but we know that the arpillerista decided to depict a happy scene rather than the atrocities done by the dictatorship. While there might be many reasons why this was made, the arpillerista is working through a tough memory. This ties into the fact that the audience doesn’t know if the sun is rising or setting in this scene, which can change the feeling of the piece. If the sun is rising, it could signify hope for the future and that things will return to a sense of normalcy. If the sun is setting, then it could signify change. The sun then would be setting over a memory the arpillerista took for granted, an experience or feeling she might never get again. Despite this, the sun being present remains a beacon that hope is still alive.
Contributor
Analysis by Jillian Younger
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Orange harvest arpillera