Writing or Sewing Table 1936

Editor: This is Frank Wenger's "Writing or Sewing Table" from 1936. It's a colored pencil and wood drawing of an elegant, antique-looking table, and another view of what looks to be its interior. I'm struck by how precisely everything is rendered, it almost feels like a technical illustration but with softer edges and colors. What story do you think Wenger is trying to tell here? Curator: It whispers of quiet afternoons, doesn't it? Imagine, if you will, Wenger hunched over this very design, a quiet craftsman lost in thought. I see more than just lines and angles here; I see potential – a dream taking shape on paper. Notice how he uses the colored pencil; it's not just about mimicking the wood grain, but almost about caressing it with color, lending a tactile, inviting feel to the envisioned piece. Don’t you almost feel you could reach out and run your fingers along those legs? What would you imagine yourself doing with this very fine piece of furniture? Editor: Perhaps writing letters. The drawer hardware looks perfect for storing a feathered quill or stationary. It does feel old-fashioned but with an incredible beauty. What about the choice to create this drawing of furniture, and not just make the actual object? Curator: Now there's a question that truly makes one ponder. Is it the delight in the sheer artistry of design? The meticulous translation of form to paper? Or perhaps, a wistful homage to craftsmanship, a meditation on how everyday objects can possess a soul all their own? Wenger gifts us not only a vision of functional beauty but, perhaps unintentionally, captures a poignant reflection on creative process and intent itself. It really does seem the drawing itself becomes the art! Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way! Seeing the design as the art, more than just a blueprint. Curator: Exactly! So much history embedded in those lines!