Tavern Table or Refectory Table 1935 - 1942

Louis Annino created this 'Tavern Table or Refectory Table' sometime between 1855 and 1995, using what looks like watercolor on paper. I can imagine him, squinting, trying to get the color just right - it's all variations of brown here, from pale tan to dark walnut. Look at the way the legs have been drawn. They’re made of bulbous forms that recede in space from the top to the bottom of the table. It gives it a rather wobbly feel, like it might topple over any minute. And how the top of the table isn't quite parallel with the bottom! I wonder if Annino had an interest in folk art, maybe he saw beauty in the handmade, a kind of wonkiness that mass production just can't replicate. I bet he was inspired by other artists documenting everyday objects. Artists are always looking, always learning, always in conversation across time. And that's the beauty of painting, isn't it? It's always open to interpretation.