Rectangular Table for Serving or Tea c. 1940

This is a watercolour of a rectangular table for serving or tea, by an anonymous artist, and it's like looking at someone's daydream. The artist has drawn a table in these honeyed browns and creams, with thin layers of translucent paint, so that it feels light and airy. I can imagine the artist thinking about furniture design, maybe sketching out ideas, letting the watercolour flow and pool on the page. The legs curve in such a delicate way, like saplings reaching for the sun, and the scalloped edge of the table has a certain sweetness. The overall effect is kind of charming and innocent. It reminds me a little of folk art, where the maker is less concerned with perfection and more interested in capturing the essence of the thing. It's a quiet and unassuming work, but it speaks to the artist's love of form and design.