Chest of Drawers 1935 - 1943

This chest of drawers was made by Jesus Pena sometime in the 20th century, and it looks like it’s made with watercolor or maybe even ink on paper. The color is almost monochromatic, isn’t it? Various shades of brown and tan. It gives the piece a real sense of quietness, almost like a memory. The rendering is so precise. You can see every detail of the wood grain, the round pulls on the drawers. It's like Pena is inviting us to touch it, to feel the smooth surface of the wood. Look closely, and you'll see how the light hits the top surface versus the side – that shift in tone is really compelling. It makes it feel less like a drawing and more like a real object. This chest reminds me a bit of some of the work of Giorgio Morandi, the way he could find endless fascination in simple objects. It’s this idea that art is always talking to itself, across time, finding new ways to look at the world.