Chair c. 1938

Dorothea Farrington made this watercolor of a chair as part of the Federal Art Project. Isn’t it funny how something as everyday as a chair can become so interesting when you start to really look at it? Farrington isn't just showing us a chair; she's showing us how she sees a chair. The delicate washes of color, the way the gold trim seems to shimmer against the darker wood – it's all about capturing a feeling, an impression. I love how she's handled the seat, giving it a woven texture that almost feels real. And notice that subtle shadow around the chair? It’s so faint, but it gives the whole thing a sense of weight, of being grounded. It reminds me a bit of some of Fairfield Porter’s interiors, that same attention to the quiet beauty of ordinary objects. But Farrington has her own voice, a gentle, thoughtful way of looking at the world.