Blood out of a stone — Ana del Valle Ojeda

Peras al olmo/(Trying to get blood out of a stone)
Oil on canvas
15x22 inches/38x55cm
2014

Detail/Detalle:

This is one of my first oil paintings and came to be out of recurring dissapointments at close interaction.

I thought of the Spanish saying “Don’t ask an elm for pears”, which is similar to “Trying to get blood out of a stone” .

So, I figured I could bring a pear to a park where there was an elm to hang it and take some pictures.

Apparently, the Greeks started using elms to hold vines, and became a common practice with the Romans. This expression in particular comes from a Latin poet.
So, if you found fruit on an elm, it could only be grapes.