Hitchcock Chair c. 1940

Editor: This watercolor drawing is titled "Hitchcock Chair" and dates to around 1940. The repeating floral and fruit motif feels charming and traditional. How can we contextualize this kind of decorative art? Curator: Well, let’s consider the chair itself. Hitchcock chairs were mass-produced, affordable seating, making decorative painting a democratizing force in art. Does the use of watercolor, typically seen in “high art”, to depict decoration for mass consumption blur some traditional boundaries here? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, it’s interesting. I just considered the folk-art feel of it. Curator: Exactly. Folk art often carries strong local or national identities. So, think about what design choices convey American identity during this period. Is it an imagined American history? A marketing tool? Editor: I guess it’s a bit of both. I mean, it almost feels…idealized. Is that idealization specifically deployed, and if so, for what reason? Curator: That's an insightful observation! Mass-produced objects can carry potent ideological weight. So how does art become ingrained within everyday material culture? The aesthetic choices reinforce specific values. Perhaps in the late 30's there's a renewed investment in ideas of pre-industrial, and subsequently "better" American production. Editor: That helps clarify how art and history intersect in what appears to be just decorative drawing. The socio-political intent makes the artwork more relevant. Curator: Precisely! It also reveals how everyday objects and "tasteful" artistry may not be so distant.