Side Chair 1936

Bernard Krieger made this drawing of a Side Chair with what looks like graphite and watercolor. The process is all about layering, building up a sense of form with these delicate washes of brown. It’s like he's feeling his way through the object, searching for its essence. The texture here is key; the grain of the wood almost comes alive under Krieger’s hand. Look at the legs of the chair, how they curve and swell, ending in those claw feet. There's a real sense of weight and presence, but it’s all done with such lightness of touch. The color palette is restrained, almost monochromatic, which makes those little details pop even more. It reminds me of some of Agnes Martin's grid paintings, where the repetition and subtle variations create a kind of meditative space. But here, instead of a grid, we have this humble chair, rendered with such care and attention. Art, you know, is all about seeing things in a new light.