Metal Toy Bank: Tammany Bank c. 1938

George File painted this metal toy bank, Tammany Bank, sometime in the 20th century. It’s a solid portrait in watercolor and graphite pencil, but the real subject is the feeling of real things. Look closely, and you see a well-dressed man in a blue suit and yellow vest, casually seated. File seems less interested in perfect representation than in capturing the essence of this object—its worn surfaces, the suggestion of weight and form. What was File thinking when he made this? Maybe he was fascinated by the textures and how light played on the metal. The stippling on the seat and the man's trousers is just gorgeous. File’s playful approach reminds me of other artists, like Red Grooms. There’s a conversation happening here, a playfulness with form. It all comes together as an expression of the artist's engagement with the world and a playful reimagining of familiar objects, inviting us to see the world through their eyes.