Side Panel of a Fire Engine c. 1938

Elmer G. Anderson made this side panel of a fire engine, and it feels like a dream, doesn’t it? Look at those figures, all bronzed and draped, with their arms up, as if they’re ushering a ship into port. I can imagine Elmer, lost in thought, slowly building up the colors of the sea and sky, trying to get the balance just right, so the ship feels like it's gliding between worlds. It's like he's inviting us into a myth, or a half-remembered story. Painting is about layering, about adding and subtracting until something emerges. It's not just about the surface, but what lies beneath. Elmer has done all this and the result is a ghostly vision. I wonder if he thought of the old masters while making it or maybe he just wanted to make something beautiful to look at while riding in the truck. Artists are always talking to each other, even across centuries. And in the end, a painting is just a conversation, a question posed in color and line.