Wine Chest c. 1940

Leonard Battee's "Wine Chest", presents three studies of the same wooden box, rendered with the cool precision of a technical drawing. The artist’s use of watercolor on paper gives the objects a tactile quality, emphasizing their material presence. The chest itself is a study in contrasts: the warm, organic grain of the wood offset by the cold, geometric ironwork. Structurally, the composition is a play of containment and exposure. One chest is closed, its contents a mystery; another is brimming with silverware, hinting at the rituals of dining; the third overflows with bottles, suggesting abundance and perhaps even excess. The chest's solid form is embellished with ornate metalwork, these decorative touches create a dialogue between function and display. This interplay raises questions about how objects mediate our relationship with luxury and tradition. Battee seems to invite us to consider how the functional objects that surround us take on symbolic weight, reflecting our desires and cultural values.