Alarm Clock (Timepiece) c. 1937

Curator: Before us, we have Francis Law Durand's "Alarm Clock (Timepiece)," believed to be from around 1937. It is primarily a watercolor drawing. Editor: It’s so still, so quiet. There's a palpable stillness even within the function implied by the subject. The details in the wood grain give it a lifelike quality. It has this odd juxtaposition of pastoral beauty and strict utilitarian form. Curator: Interesting observation. The inclusion of floral decoration directly below the clock face could hint at societal values emphasizing beauty in the domestic sphere, a gentle nod perhaps towards women's labor? The artwork's rendering within watercolor and drawing complicates our ideas of time, space, gender, and identity during the depression. Editor: Absolutely. And, historically, the image also speaks to the broader culture of domestic objects and art's potential role in shaping these. During this era, these portraits served a valuable purpose within the public domain. Do you see it that way? Curator: Precisely! It makes you think about time in the home and outside of the industrial space—gender roles influencing what deserves time, artistic care. It would be so revealing to analyze the imagery, symbolism, cultural context and its ties to early or mid 20th century family life! Editor: It definitely offers food for thought and reveals insights from the moment, as well as how we still process our relationship to domestic time. It also hints at how we perceive historical and socio-economic structures through our temporal, cultural, and historical vantage point. Curator: Exactly. Perhaps, if time allows, visitors will start paying closer attention to objects as artifacts, full of quiet narratives of identity. Editor: Agreed, artful reminders to be both mindful and reflective of where we once were in order to understand where we're headed next.