Cabinet for Storage c. 1938

Charles Squires made this drawing of a Cabinet for Storage with watercolor and graphite on paper. The neutral palette creates a sense of warmth, making the piece feel like a familiar object. I can imagine Charles Squires hunched over his desk, carefully building up the forms with light washes of watercolor. He must have been so focused, really attentive, to capture the subtle details of the cabinet's carvings and the way light plays across its surface. He gives a lot of attention to the details on the surface like the circular handles, each one rendered with tiny detail. It reminds me of the precise detail of a Renaissance painting but without the high drama. There's something very comforting and familiar about it, like an old friend. Squires is in conversation with other painters, and with the object itself, each one of them inspiring new ways of seeing and representing the world. And in the end, painting becomes a way to embody feelings, experiences, and a whole lot of questions!