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Announcer: This is
a Getty podcast.

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[Rising, meditative music]

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Lilit Sadoyan: Today we’re
exploring The Laundress, a

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painting about cleaning and
much more by Jean-Baptiste Greuze.

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[Theme music begins]

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Welcome to Our Museum
Mindfulness Meditation

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podcast, or OMMM.

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Part art history and part
meditation, we use works of

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art from the Getty collection
as inspiration for mindfulness

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and deep reflection.

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Hi—-I’m Lilit Sadoyan.

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I’m a longtime meditation
practitioner and museum

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educator at Getty.

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Thanks for joining me
as we bring mindfulness

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out of the gallery and
into our daily lives.

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Today, we’re discussing The
Laundress, or La Blanchisseuse,

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a painting made in 1761 by
French artist Jean-Baptiste

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Greuze, and exploring
mindfulness in the mundane.

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This episode begins with a
breathing exercise to help

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relax your body and mind.

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We’ll then give a bit of
history and context for the

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painting, and we’ll close
with a meditation that

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encourages us to approach
our daily tasks mindfully.

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This series is also available
as an audio podcast.

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If you’d like to step away
from a screen for a few

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minutes, listen on your
favorite podcast app.

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Now, if you’re
ready, let’s jump in.

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[Gong chimes]

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[Slow, meditative music begins]

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Go ahead and find a comfortable
meditation posture, whatever

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that means for you today.

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Maybe you’re sitting, lying
down, something that allows

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you to feel relaxed yet alert.

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Let’s start by taking a
few deep breaths together.

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In through the nose.
[inhales]

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Out through the mouth.
[exhales]

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Deep breath in.
[inhales]

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Deep breath out.
[exhales]

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One more inhale.

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Exhale.

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And now just let your breathing
resume its natural rhythm as

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we explore today’s work of art.

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[Bells chime]

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[Slow music plays]

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What if a chore could be
transformed into a quiet

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moment of presence and dignity?

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In The Laundress, artist
Jean-Baptiste Greuze hasn’t

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just focused on what the
main figure is doing,

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but how she’s doing it.

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Try to picture it
now in your mind.

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A young laundress sits
alone in a room on a low

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makeshift wooden stool.

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She’s in profile, but gently
turns her head to the left to

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look out at us, challenging
us with her blue eyes.

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She wrings out the water from
a white piece of fabric into

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an earthen basin on the floor.

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The water squeezes out from
the material and her hands.

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It drips and trickles
into the basin below.

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Try to hear it.

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[sounds of water
lightly dripping]

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Even the way the fabric’s
been painted evokes a sense

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of dampness in my hands.

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The details of the water are
painted with creamy brush

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strokes of white and blue
paint that appear wet too.

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There’s a lot of
fabric in the painting.

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The layered drapery of the
laundress’s clothing overflows

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here, including a pink and
yellow striped skirt, likely

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over a petticoat, a light
blue tailored robe or gown

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with layered sleeves, a white
apron, a long white kerchief

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worn over her shoulders and
neckline, and her head topped

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with a white mobcap tied with a
pink ribbon to cover her hair.

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In the bottom left sits
a heap of white fabric,

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perhaps next to be washed.

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In the opposite corner at top
right, a couple other items, one

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with details of a striped blue
trim and the other like a large

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sheet, are draped over what
appears to be a clothesline.

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In fact, the entire setting
is rather cluttered with

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the tools and materials
related to doing laundry.

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Behind the figure, a woven
basket stuffed with sticks or

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tools just about tips over.

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A gleaming pear-shaped pewter
kettle, or a marabout, used

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for boiling water, sits atop a
small wooden table on the floor.

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Earthenware and copper pots
are haphazardly stacked on

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the wooden cabinet behind her.

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Wooden paddles known as beach
beetles, used for beating wet

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linen to remove dirt, are strewn
across the bottom left corner of

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the floor like an afterthought.

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Emphasizing the mess, even
the stucco on the wall in

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the top left corner has
worn off, exposing the

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brick masonry underneath.

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Washing laundry in the 18th
century was slow and laborious.

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It would take days to fully
wash and dry clothing, much of

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that time spent doing repetitive
and very physical tasks.

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Eight hours filling and draining
a pot with soda ash and hot

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water, nine hours of soaking
it in clean hot water, hours

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at the riverside beating out
the dirt, three days hanging

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to dry—a far cry from our
automated washer dryers today.

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Those who could afford it
would send their clothing and

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bedding to be cleaned by a
laundress, like the fictional

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character in our painting.

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Although an invented scene,
this painting is based on

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everyday life, a style known
as genre painting, and Greuze

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was the most famous and
successful painter of this

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style in France at the time.

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He was inspired by Dutch
and Flemish artists

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from the century prior.

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Greuze sought to elevate these
mundane subjects to the same

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level of historical themes,
which were deemed the highest

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form of painting by academics.

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The dramatic lighting and
composition and Greuze’s

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attention to the subject in this
painting valorized the laundress

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and perhaps even her chore.

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And just as Greuze gave this
humdrum, quotidian subject

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matter his focused and
sustained attention, this

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meditation aims to do the same.

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We’ll be trying something
a little different here.

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Rather than sit in quiet
meditation, we will begin with

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a brief grounding exercise,
then practice mindfulness while

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engaged with a small chore.

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Interweaving mindfulness
into the mundane allows us

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to bring curiosity, presence,
and a non-judgmental attitude

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to daily routine tasks.

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Washing dishes, doing laundry,
cleaning, showering, these

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are perfect opportunities to
slow down and really focus

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on the task at hand, thereby
transforming autopilot chores

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into restorative moments.

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So if you have some dishes to
wash, some tidying to do, or

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laundry to fold, feel free to
hit pause and return when you’re

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ready to dive into your chores.

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[Gong rings and meditative 
music begins]

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Let’s begin with a few
brief moments to center

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and ground our practice.

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If you feel comfortable,
you can close your eyes.

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But if you’d prefer to keep
your eyes open, that’s okay too.

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Try to lower your gaze
and lower your lids to

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minimize visual distraction.

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Use this time to go inward.

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Adopt a posture that feels
both relaxed, yet alert.

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And let’s open our practice
with a few deep breaths.

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In through the nose.
[inhales]

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Out through the mouth.
[exhales]

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Deep breath in.
[inhales]

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Deep breath out.
[exhales]

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One more inhale.

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And exhale.

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And just let your breathing
resume its natural rhythm.

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So there’s no need to force
or extend anything here,

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let your body do what it does
very naturally on its own.

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Just breathing.

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And if your mind
wanders, that’s okay.

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The objective is never to
clear or empty the mind,

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but just notice those
thoughts as they arise.

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And come back to your breath,

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using your breath as your
anchor to the present moment.

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And if your eyes are closed, now
I invite you to gently open them

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and arrive at the task at hand.

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First, even before you
begin, notice any thoughts

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or emotions that arise when
you look at what awaits you.

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Are there any judgments
or expectations?

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Notice any urges you may
feel to just jump right in.

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Take a moment to reframe the
task by viewing the chore

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before you as an opportunity
for reflection, or as an

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act of care, either for
yourself or for your home.

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It is not a burden.

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You may even offer
yourself a simple reframe.

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Instead of, “I have to
clean this,” for example,

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you may say, “I get to”.

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This may not only reduce
potential stress associated

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with the chore, but also enhance
gratitude for this moment.

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Take a moment now
to set an intention.

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Pause and ask yourself,
“What do I wanna feel as

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I do this chore?” Calm?

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Presence?

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Gratitude?

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Now let’s focus on the
sensory experience.

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Go ahead and begin your
task, and pay attention

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to the sensation of touch.

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Whatever materials are
within reach, notice their

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temperature and their texture
in your hands and fingertips.

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If you’re touching water,
for example, what is

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the temperature like?

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Feel the sensation of its flow.

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Or if you’re holding a towel,
really feel the texture,

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its softness or density.

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Notice your grip.

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Feel the weight.

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Smoothing sheets or
fluffing pillows?

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Observe and appreciate
the neatness here.

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How do the objects look?

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Notice their colors
and shapes or how they

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absorb or reflect light.

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Get curious.

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Maybe you’re folding
laundry or putting it away.

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Look closely at the creases
or how objects lean against

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each other for support.

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Are there any particular
details that you appreciate?

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You can get as granular with the
details as you allow yourself.

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Listen carefully to any
sounds associated with

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whatever you are doing.

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Maybe it’s the faucet
or the sound of a spray

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bottle or a sweeping broom.

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And pay careful attention
to how the sound changes

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with each action.

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Listen to the sound of
objects making contact

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with each other: stacking
dishes, sliding drawers.

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Now bring your
awareness to movement.

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Notice how and when
your body moves.

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Slow down and really focus
on everything you’re doing.

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Notice the rhythm of your
actions, such as sorting or

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scrubbing, sweeping or stacking.

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Feel the motion of your
arms as you push or pull.

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You can even sync your
breath with each movement.

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Pay attention to how
your movement changes

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from one task to another.

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And if your mind wanders
during this time, that’s okay.

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It’s completely natural
for the brain to do so.

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When you notice your
mind drifting, gently

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bring your attention
back to the task at hand.

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Take a deep breath
and begin again.

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Notice the position
of your body.

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You may scan your body and see
if you can relax any points

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of tension or tightness.

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Soften your shoulders.

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Unclench your jaw.

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Let something go.

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Allow yourself to be curious
about each and every bit

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of information your body
is processing sensorily,

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how it’s received through
various organs and processed

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in the brain, creating your
perception of this exact moment.

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Finally, take a moment to
appreciate the space you’ve

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created or the task you’ve
completed just now, even if your

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work is only partially done.

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[Slow, meditative music plays]

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Consider how you feel
compared to when you started.

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Perhaps this approach has
brought you a sense of

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peace and satisfaction.

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00:15:23,889 --> 00:15:27,619
I invite you to close your
practice by silently thanking

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the objects or spaces
that you just tended to.

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00:15:36,139 --> 00:15:39,239
As we return to the world,
let’s carry this sense of

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presence and awareness with us.

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You can consider these prompts
as invitations to engage

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with the world of chores
throughout your day and week.

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00:15:49,419 --> 00:15:51,789
Look at things around
you as if you’re seeing

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them for the first time.

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00:15:55,069 --> 00:16:01,519
Slow down and greet your chores
with curiosity and kindness, and

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focus entirely on a single task.

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Try to bring awareness to
habitual mindless routines,

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and instead increase your
joy in daily living through

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sustained attention.

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Let’s return to our breath
and close our practice by

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taking a full deep breath
together, the biggest

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breath you’ve taken today.

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00:16:24,930 --> 00:16:25,560
Inhale.

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00:16:29,239 --> 00:16:29,939
Sigh it out.
[exhales]

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00:16:29,939 --> 00:16:29,939


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Thank you so much
for joining me.

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[Meditative music
slowly fades out]