Shaker Small Table c. 1936

This Shaker Small Table was drawn with watercolor by Alfred H. Smith. It’s the kind of controlled, quiet painting that gets overlooked. But, when I look at the pale, even wash of color that makes up the ground, the first thing that jumps out is the tension between the flat surface of the paper and the illusion of three-dimensional space. The tabletop looks almost varnished, doesn't it? In contrast, the thin, pale washes create this translucent effect to the legs, like light filtering through amber. And the way Smith coaxes form out of subtle shifts in tone, it reminds me of some of those early American portrait painters, like John Singleton Copley, who were also trying to reconcile a sense of realism with a kind of idealized form. You can see how a simple object can invite you to think about art and craft in new ways.