Toy Boy and Goat c. 1937

Harry Grossen painted "Toy Boy and Goat" with watercolor in muted tones. Can you imagine him carefully building up the composition? Starting with the base of the book, then layering the green hill, before adding the pale goat and finally the boy, perched on a stool, forever reaching out to touch the animal’s snout. It’s fascinating to think about Grossen observing this charming porcelain figurine. How does the act of painting a small, precious object change it? I can imagine Grossen focusing on the textures of the porcelain, how it catches the light, how to conjure the soft fuzz of the goat. Artists are always looking and learning from each other. Grossen, like so many others, found something inspiring in the everyday. Something that spoke to him and that he wanted to translate into paint. And isn’t that what art is all about? That endless conversation between makers, objects, and the world.