Sanctuary Table 1936

Editor: So, here we have Dayton Brown’s "Sanctuary Table," a 1936 watercolor, pencil, and charcoal drawing. It’s remarkably simple. It's just a table, plainly depicted, but the title hints at something deeper. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: For me, the interest lies in the labor, both physical and social, embedded within this seemingly straightforward image. Brown meticulously rendered the table's joinery, the textures of the wood. Consider what making a table, a simple utilitarian object, represented in 1936, during the Depression. Were these handmade, potentially using salvaged or repurposed wood? Editor: That’s a good point, especially considering the title "Sanctuary Table". It could signify resourcefulness. Were such objects like this common subjects at the time? Curator: Yes, certainly. Artists working under the WPA’s Federal Art Project often depicted everyday scenes, celebrating the dignity of labor. But it is important to also analyze what kind of work it represents; labor involved in constructing, serving at, or gathered around this "sanctuary" table. Who were the individuals connected to this table, and how would it provide safety? The deliberate attention to detail transforms an ordinary object into a space that reflects economic realities and intimate human interaction. It provokes thinking about the stories this piece wants to tell, considering the materials and the purpose. Editor: It makes me look at the piece so differently, thinking about how a functional object can reflect a specific cultural time. Curator: Exactly. By acknowledging the labor involved in this piece, we broaden the historical context that highlights art and everyday life as connected. Editor: I now consider this simple, understated sketch to have a multi-layered depiction, hinting toward so much about American history during that period! Thank you!