Fireside Set c. 1938

Hans Mangelsdorf made this Fireside Set using watercolour and graphite. I wonder how long it took him to make all those perfectly drawn lines?! It feels so exact, but I'm sure he had to trust his intuition when mapping out the objects in the composition. Look at how the colours blend together. The objects almost glow with the gold and green hues. That kettle looks pretty heavy. I feel sorry for whoever has to use it! But it also seems so fancy, I can imagine it sitting in a grand house. I like that he’s included the brush and shovel, like a painter including all the paraphernalia in the studio. It tells a story. It's like he is saying: ‘I saw this beautiful object, so I’m going to make something new out of it.’ It's all one big conversation. It reminds me of the work of artists like Rackstraw Downes, who also creates artworks that document and reflect on domestic objects.