Doors c. 1939

This watercolour painting of ‘Doors’ was made by Edward Jewett, but we don’t know when exactly. The whole thing has a kind of whimsical air to it, maybe it’s the palette of muted greens, pinks, and natural wood tones. It's interesting how Jewett renders the materiality of the doors. The wood grain is visible, but softened by the watercolour. He’s not trying to trick you into thinking it’s a photograph, it’s definitely a painting. Look at the door on the right, the green one, the way it's divided into panels with those little pink floral details, like something you might see in a dream. There's a tenderness in the application of the paint. This feels related to the work of Charles Burchfield. Both artists share a similar interest in rendering everyday scenes with a touch of fantasy. Art's like that, it's not about copying, but about speaking back and forth. Each artist adds something to the conversation.