Weather Vane 1935 - 1942

Here's that weather vane by Carl Strehlau, probably painted sometime in the mid-20th century. Look at the way the brown watercolor is applied, almost stained, like the artist is soaking the paper. I can imagine Strehlau in his studio, maybe a little cramped, definitely filled with the smell of old paper and pigment. He's carefully outlining the horse and rider, then filling them in with these earthy tones. The brown of the horse is so solid, so present. Then this rider, perched on top, pointing towards an invisible horizon. What’s he thinking? What's he seeing? He kind of reminds me of Milton Avery with that reduction of form, combined with a folk-art simplicity, and a touch of Edward Hopper's melancholy. In a way he is in dialogue with them, and they are in conversation with him, across decades, each artist seeing the world through their own lens, their own unique touch.