Parlor Chair c. 1940

Leroy Griffith made this watercolor of a parlor chair sometime in the 20th century, we don't know exactly when. What strikes me is the softness of the color, the sense of light, and the way the artist is so clearly interested in shape. It's a really simple drawing, but you can still see the physicality of it. Look at the way the brown watercolor seeps into the paper. You can imagine Griffith dipping his brush in water, mixing up the color, and then carefully, deliberately, filling in these shapes. It's a slow process, a process of building and layering. And I love how the wood grain of the chair is evoked with small lines. It reminds me a little bit of Giorgio Morandi. Not in terms of style, exactly, but in the way that both artists find so much beauty and interest in the simplest of objects. It feels like there's always something new to discover, something new to see. That’s the beauty of art, right? It’s an ongoing conversation.