Pump Valve and Sucker 1939

Alexander Anderson made this watercolor of a Pump Valve and Sucker sometime around 1935. I imagine him studying the object, considering how to translate its three-dimensional form onto the page with just watercolor and pencil. I'm curious about the way he rendered the wood grain, using delicate washes to suggest texture. And those subtle shadows! You can almost feel the weight and solidity of the object. I bet he felt like he was in conversation with this object. The drawing reminds me of other artists who find beauty in the everyday, like Giorgio Morandi with his still lifes of bottles and jars. There's a quiet dignity in the attention he brings to this humble object. Ultimately, it’s the artist's careful observation and translation that elevates the ordinary to something extraordinary.