Shoe Last 1938

Harvey Thoss made this painting of a shoe last with watercolour on paper, we don't know exactly when. The smooth gradients of brown and beige give a sense of three-dimensionality, and the way the light catches the wood makes it look almost touchable. The wood is warm and inviting, but the metal fixture on the side hints at the colder, industrial world outside. I can imagine Thoss carefully applying each layer of pigment, building up the form through delicate strokes and subtle washes. What was he thinking about? Maybe it was the play of light on the object or the texture of the wood. The delicate brushstrokes and muted color palette create a quiet, contemplative atmosphere. It's like Thoss wanted to capture not just the object itself, but also the feeling of time passing, of memory and history embedded in this humble object. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes. Ultimately, it's about how artists look at things and each other.