Pa. German Toy Bellows Rooster c. 1936

John Fisk made this watercolour of a Pa. German Toy Bellows Rooster sometime in the 20th century. It's so simple, this little toy, but Fisk renders it with the seriousness of a still life, like Chardin’s skate or melon. The rooster's body is a rounded form built from layers of transparent washes. Look closely and you'll see the pale underpainting showing through the darker hues. There's a tenderness to the way he models the form, rounding out the chest and the strange, springy legs. What kind of brush do you think he used to make those tiny strokes of red in the tail feathers? I love the quiet intensity of this piece. It reminds me of the work of Agnes Martin, who also found profound beauty in the simplest of forms. Both artists remind us that art is not just about representation, but about the process of seeing and feeling. It's not about answers, it’s about questions.