Kitchen Chair c. 1935

Rosa Burger made this drawing of a kitchen chair with what looks like graphite and colored pencil. See how the chair emerges from the paper with these delicate, almost hesitant strokes? There’s a real tenderness here, like the artist is getting to know the object as she draws it. I’m drawn to the way she renders the seat of the chair, this swirling, almost topographical map of wood grain. It’s like she’s trying to capture not just the appearance of the wood but its very essence. The colors are muted, earthy tones, but there's a subtle vibrancy, too. The way the light falls across the surface gives it a quiet sense of life. This drawing reminds me a little of Fairfield Porter's domestic interiors – a similar attention to the everyday, a quiet celebration of the beauty in ordinary things. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to shout; sometimes, the most profound statements are whispered.