Chest c. 1938

Here is Henry Meyers's "Chest," made with watercolor, graphite, and possibly some gouache on paper. I imagine Meyers, brush in hand, carefully layering these thin washes of color, building up the woodgrain, stroke by stroke. You know, it reminds me of the way Fairfield Porter would paint a room, attending to the quiet dignity of everyday objects. There's something so tender about rendering this chest of drawers, the almost imperceptible undulation of the bottom edge, the subtle shadows that define its form. It's like Meyers is saying, "Look, even the most mundane things have a beauty worth celebrating." And in that act of observation, he transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary. Painting is a conversation and a process, constantly inspiring and challenging our understanding of how we perceive and experience the world.