Powder Horn c. 1936

Samuel O. Klein made this "Powder Horn" as part of the Index of American Design. It's painted on paper, probably with watercolor or gouache, and it looks like he mixed the colours until they were just right. The texture is smooth but the colours are dark in the centre and lighter around the outside, maybe to show how light reflects off metal. He's captured the material of the object - a shiny, cold container. It has some stars and an eagle on it; I wonder if they were hard to paint. I keep thinking about a Chardin painting and how he made humble objects seem important. Samuel Klein shows a bit of that too, focusing on what’s in front of him and how it looks. Like Chardin, it's not so much about the "what" but the "how," and the patience it takes to see something in its fullness.