Police Rattle 1940

Carl Buergerniss made this drawing of a Police Rattle with watercolor. Look closely, the color is built up with thin washes, each mark carefully placed to describe the wooden form. I love the way the artist has observed the light, how it falls across the handle, and the way he hasn’t tried to smooth everything out but instead has relished the slightly awkward drawing of the brass plate at the bottom. It reminds me of the work of Walter Sickert, who was interested in the overlooked corners of the everyday. Just like Sickert, Buergerniss isn't trying to make a big statement, he's just showing us something he found interesting in the world, like this beautifully rendered object, a simple machine to make a loud noise. What’s not to love? It’s a painting about seeing.