Armchair c. 1937

Editor: So, this is "Armchair" by Edna C. Rex, created around 1937, rendered in watercolor. There's a stillness to it, almost like the chair is waiting for someone. What do you see in this piece that jumps out at you? Curator: The solitude is certainly palpable, isn't it? For me, it's the implied absence – a human form shaped by negative space, waiting for life, conversation, maybe a good book and a cup of tea. I find myself wondering, why a chair? Why this particular style? Was it a memory, a longing, a commentary on domesticity, or just… a pretty chair? Editor: I hadn’t thought about the emptiness like that! The ornate details seem almost frozen, rather than inviting. Could it be a modernist take on traditional portraiture? Curator: Absolutely! Think of modernism’s push against ornamentation. Is Rex presenting this chair – usually a symbol of comfort and status – as an object divorced from function, almost critiquing it? Look at the slightly faded, almost ghostly floral patterns within the upholstery. Editor: I see that now – a subtle critique perhaps! I guess I saw a chair, but now I see… layers of meaning about absence and maybe even a bit of class commentary? Curator: Precisely! It's a gentle nudge to consider the stories objects whisper if we lend them an ear. Editor: I’ll definitely be looking at everyday objects differently from now on! Thanks for pointing that out.