Coffee Mill c. 1940

Carl Buergerniss made this watercolour, Coffee Mill, and it looks like he really loved the process of observing and rendering objects from daily life. The textures here are so delicately handled - the worn wood grain of the hopper, the dull cast iron of the grinder, and the smooth, almost tactile rendering of the wooden handle. The color palette is restrained, almost monochromatic, but it allows the subtle shifts in tone to describe the play of light and shadow on the object. Look closely at the transition from light to dark on the handle; it’s so subtle, so precise, it almost feels photographic. What I find most compelling is the way Buergerniss has captured the essence of this everyday object. It reminds me of Chardin's still life paintings, in which simple objects are elevated to a place of quiet contemplation. Like Chardin, Buergerniss finds beauty in the mundane, reminding us to appreciate the simple pleasures of life.