Side Chair c. 1937

Editor: This is a watercolor drawing entitled "Side Chair" from around 1937 by Francisco Alvarez. The colours are so soft. It feels very delicate, almost like a memory. How would you interpret this work? Curator: Ah, yes, a quiet piece, isn't it? To me, it whispers of a simpler time. Imagine stepping into a sun-drenched room, the aroma of old wood mingling with freshly cut flowers... that’s the sensation I get. But let's look closer. Notice the precision in the lines, the delicate gradations of colour. It's not just a chair; it's a study in form and light. Makes you wonder, doesn't it, if the artist was captivated by its everyday elegance? Editor: Definitely! It's more than just a chair. It’s so meticulously rendered, especially for something so…ordinary. It makes me think about how even mundane objects can be beautiful. Why do you think he chose watercolour rather than, say, oil? Curator: An interesting question! Watercolor offers a certain transparency, a lightness of touch that mirrors the chair’s airy design. Oil paint, with its weight and opacity, might have been too… forceful. Do you see how the watercolour allows the light to pass through, giving the chair an almost ethereal quality? It's a lovely reminder that beauty often resides in simplicity. Editor: I never thought about it like that! Thinking about the watercolor and how light filters through the drawing…I can totally see the choice making sense. Curator: Art invites us into contemplation, doesn't it? Sometimes the simplest image opens unexpected doors, inviting us to pause, to consider, to find beauty where we least expect it. Editor: Thanks. I'll definitely never look at a chair the same way again.