Sofa Table c. 1939

Francis Borelli made this little watercolor painting of a sofa table sometime in the 20th century, maybe with delicate brushes and a light touch. I can just imagine Borelli, leaning in close, trying to capture the way the light hits the wood, working slowly, tentatively adding thin washes to build up color. It is like a dance between control and surrender, isn't it? There is a real tenderness to the application. I love how the legs bend, those sort of half-moon shapes with shell-like grooves – and the little metal feet. You can see how the careful depiction must have given pleasure to the artist. Painters are always talking to each other, across time and space, borrowing ideas and techniques, riffing off each other's moves. Looking at this reminds me of a Chardin still life, somehow. Painting is like that, an ongoing conversation, a constant process of questioning and re-evaluating.