Settee Couch c. 1936

Editor: This is a watercolor drawing titled "Settee Couch," created around 1936. The rich, dark upholstery contrasts beautifully with the ornate, reddish-brown frame. It evokes a feeling of quiet elegance. What sort of symbolism do you find embedded in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, a deceptively simple image. What catches my eye is the absence of figures. Couches, especially elegant settees like this, are often depicted with people – lovers, families, confidantes. Its emptiness is palpable. Doesn't that absence become a powerful symbol of…longing? Editor: Longing? That’s an interesting perspective. I was focused on the aesthetic beauty of the design. Curator: Indeed. The design speaks of a certain social status and aspiration, echoing styles from previous eras while perhaps hinting at modernism's rejection of such ornamentation. This piece freezes a moment in the late 1930's between The Depression and the march to World War. Where might you expect to find this couch in real life? Editor: Perhaps in the waiting room of a doctor’s office or in the foyer of a grand house? Somewhere with a sense of traditional, but slightly faded, glamour? Curator: Precisely! And what kind of stories would be told in those places and upon that settee? It embodies those potential stories – whispered secrets, hopeful ambitions, quiet moments of respite before it even holds a body! Look how those repeated patterns and deep set diamonds can represent repetition through generations? Editor: That’s fascinating; the potential for storytelling woven into the very fabric—or watercolor, in this case! I will consider emptiness in a new light, moving forward. Curator: It makes you ponder what this means about the culture's aspirations, and hidden memories. Wonderful food for thought!