Chair c. 1936

Howard Weld made this watercolor of a chair, though it kind of looks like two chairs, or a chair and a headboard. It’s hard to say exactly when, but Weld lived a long life, so it could be anytime in the 20th century. The drawing is so precise, almost diagrammatic, with these neat stripes of golden paint running along the dark wood of the frames. The shapes feel solid, but also a little like a flat-pack furniture manual; here’s how the parts slot together. Look at the fruit, maybe grapes, and leaves at the top of the headboard. They're rendered with tiny flicks and dabs of colour. It’s kind of amazing how the artist gives it depth and roundness through those tiny marks. There's something so charming about the way this picture balances realism and representation. It kind of reminds me of the formal qualities in the paintings of Giorgio Morandi, domestic and slightly odd. It’s a beautiful, quiet thing.