Bit 1935 - 1942

Cornelius Christoffels made this watercolour, titled 'Bit', using small delicate marks and an earthy palette. Looking at this painting, I wonder what it was like for Christoffels to examine this object so closely. Did the bit have a particular association for him? Was it about drawing attention to the ornate design of the bit itself? It's all captured with such care. I'm drawn to how the rusty orange coils contrast with the muted metal tones of the bit. The coils look almost soft, like springs, and give this functional object an unexpected delicacy. It reminds me of the surrealist impulse to transform everyday objects into something new and strange, inviting us to look again at what we might otherwise overlook. In the end, aren’t all artists magpies, picking up bits and pieces of the world that spark something within us?