Large Trunk c. 1940

This trunk was rendered in watercolor by Edward Loper. The brown leather is crisscrossed with black metal bands, all riveted together, and topped with a brassy lock. I wonder what it was like for Loper to create this painting – what he was thinking when he made it? Maybe he was thinking about how the trunk looked and felt and smelled? You know, the rich, smooth, aged surface of leather. The worn, distressed appearance and how it felt in his hands? Did he see the trunk as a relic from a bygone era? And what stories did it hold from past travels and adventures? I like to think about the trunk as a container of secrets. Painters are always in conversation with each other, influencing one another’s art over time. This is a beautiful example of a painter engaging in embodied expression, embracing the uncertainties that allow for multiple interpretations and meanings.