Bridle Bit 1935 - 1942

Cecil Smith made this watercolor of two Bridle Bits, and what strikes me is how the marks are so deliberately descriptive, but also kinda wonky. Look at how the rusted iron is rendered with these gentle washes. I love the way the light catches on the metal – the dark browns and blacks fading into lighter oranges, almost like he's trying to conjure the feeling of holding these objects. The shapes are so carefully observed, yet the whole thing has this looseness, a softness that keeps it from being too precise. There's a tenderness to the way he's depicting these old, worn objects. The one on the right, for instance, how it leans a little, as if worn out, but still with an elegance of form. It reminds me a little of Guston, the way he can transform mundane objects into something so emotionally resonant. It’s like Smith invites us to contemplate the history embedded in these objects, not just what they are, but what they mean.