Cherry Chest of Drawers by Joseph Ficcadenti

Cherry Chest of Drawers c. 1941

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drawing

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drawing

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oil painting

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academic-art

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watercolor

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realism

Dimensions: overall: 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18 x 14 in.) Original IAD Object: 44"long; 47"high; 20 3/8"wide

Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0

This Cherry Chest of Drawers was made with watercolor on paper by Joseph Ficcadenti. Look at how he patiently built up the image, stroke by stroke, like a slow dance between hand and eye. I love how the color creates an overall impression of warmth and familiarity. The grain of the wood is evoked using closely placed parallel strokes, giving the surface of the wood a palpable texture. You can imagine how Ficcadenti built up this image, patiently layering on the color, one stroke at a time, to conjure a simple domestic scene. The small, slightly off-kilter, brass keyholes, seem like little suns that punctuate the image. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, another artist obsessed with rendering the surfaces of familiar objects in a soft, muted palette.

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