Toy Train 1935 - 1942

Francis Law Durand made this charming watercolor, Toy Train, sometime in the 20th century. I'm imagining Durand carefully applying thin washes of color, building up the forms of each car with delicate strokes. The palette is so restrained, mostly reds and browns, it makes me think of a sepia-toned photograph. I like the way the artist has captured a simple subject with such care. Maybe he was thinking about what it was like to play as a child? There's something timeless about the rendering, so simple but full of intention. And it is also slightly melancholic. The train set is isolated, floating on a sea of blank paper. I see parallels in the work of other painters who are interested in the poetry of everyday objects. I like to think of Durand as part of this longer conversation, each artist building on what came before. Ultimately, it's the unique vision that makes this painting so special, turning something ordinary into an object of quiet contemplation.