Armchair c. 1936

This drawing of an armchair, of no known date or maker, uses watercolor and graphite on paper. The artist has lovingly rendered a solid, handsome piece of furniture with an eye for the intricacies of its design. Look at how the brown ink delicately builds up the shapes through layering and subtle shading, almost like a sepia photograph. The light is evenly distributed so that we can clearly see all the elements that make up the chair’s ornate structure. The weave of the seat and backing are depicted with a similar care and attention to detail. It reminds me a little of the work of Charles Demuth, who also had a graphic sensibility and interest in American vernacular architecture and design. There is a sense of playful attention to form here, and like Demuth, a careful balance between representation and abstraction. Ultimately, it emphasizes art as a mode of inquiry, one where fixed meanings give way to multiple interpretations.