Clock c. 1938

Frank Wenger's watercolor, simply titled "Clock," feels like a gentle study in time and texture. The way he teases out the wood grain, it’s almost tactile, like you could run your fingers over the surface. The red hue gives it a warmth, a kind of domestic coziness. Then you notice how the clock face itself is rendered, softly, with a slight blurring, as if time itself is not so rigid, but permeable. The whole piece has this quiet, contemplative vibe. It reminds me of a Giorgio Morandi painting, where simple, everyday objects are given this monumental presence. It's about looking, really looking, and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. And it makes you wonder, what does time mean anyway? Is it a measure, or a feeling? Wenger leaves that deliciously ambiguous.