Dimensions: overall: 35.5 x 25.8 cm (14 x 10 3/16 in.) Original IAD Object: Scale: 1 1/8"=1"-isometric drawing according to data sheet for 12b.
Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0
Editor: We’re looking at "Chair (Scale Drawing)" created in 1936 by Edward Jewett. It appears to be a detailed pencil drawing on aged paper. There's something almost melancholic about it – like a forgotten relic meticulously captured. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Melancholic... I like that. For me, it’s the act of looking itself that resonates. Jewett compels us to truly *see* the chair, not just as a functional object, but as a form with its own inherent beauty, almost an idealized essence of ‘chairness,’ wouldn't you say? The delicate lines make it feel almost fragile, as though the chair exists only in the realm of memory. I wonder what chair *he* was thinking of, maybe even a particular sitter? Does it suggest any other deeper meaning? Editor: That's a great way to put it! The chairness of a chair! Perhaps it represents stability or comfort, things the artist maybe yearned for in the midst of the Depression? Curator: Absolutely! A quest for order in a chaotic time. The precision in the drawing underscores this search for structure. Imagine Jewett, carefully measuring and rendering each line, each joint, as if through this act, he could ground himself and us to what *really* matters. Think about the sitter…was this his refuge? I rather like imagining myself perched there, surveying my little corner of the world, what do *you* imagine? Editor: I love the thought that maybe this chair has an untold story. I'll definitely be looking at everyday objects with fresh eyes from now on. Curator: Exactly! Every line, every angle has something to communicate, an intimate record. Thanks for helping *me* really sit with it a while longer!
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