Secretary 1937

This is Bernard Krieger's 'Secretary' made with graphite and watercolour, but the exact date is unknown. Look at the almost obsessive detail, how the artist renders the woodgrain and the shadows cast by each drawer, it is so careful! For Krieger, art making must have been a meditation. I love the way the watercolor creates subtle variations in tone, giving the wood a warm, inviting glow. You can almost feel the smooth surface of the desk. It is the kind of realism where the artist is really working something through, mark by mark. Notice that blob of white paint near the bottom. For me, it's like a little accident that reminds us that the world is alive and imperfect. The painting reminds me of the work of Giorgio Morandi. It shows the beauty of the everyday object. Both artists find something beautiful in the mundane. They remind us that art doesn't always have to be grand or spectacular; it can also be quiet and contemplative.