Fireside Set c. 1938

This is Hans Mangelsdorf's 'Fireside Set', made with watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil. I love the process of this piece, it’s all about the layering of colour. Look at how the washes of gold build up to create a metallic sheen, contrasted against the black of the brush. It really speaks to me of the joy of artmaking as an act of layering and accumulation. I’m drawn to how the texture in the watercolor brings the metallic surfaces to life. See how the light catches the rounded forms of the kettle, emphasizing the curves and edges? The slight imperfections, like the small dots of graphite on the background, add a real sense of warmth and tactility. I find a connection here to the work of Giorgio Morandi, who also finds so much poetry in the everyday object. Both artists remind us that art is really about the conversation between artists across time, riffing on ideas and pushing them in new directions.