Chair (Samuel Chase) 1935 - 1942

James Fisher made this drawing of a chair, probably in the mid-20th century, with what looks like watercolor or gouache. You can almost feel the handmade process, right? The way the colors blend, the soft edges... it's like watching the chair slowly come into being. There's something so quiet about this piece, almost meditative. Look at how the light catches the seat, the simple shifts in color that give it shape. The paint is thin, so the paper almost glows through. It’s not trying to trick you into thinking it's real – it's a painting, plain and simple. See how Fisher renders the wood grain? It’s so meticulous, yet there's still a sense of freedom, of the hand moving across the page. It reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter's paintings of everyday life, that same attention to the beauty of the mundane. Ultimately, art isn't about nailing down one meaning, it's about opening up possibilities.