Side Board-Sheraton c. 1936

Curator: Ah, yes! This is Edgar L. Pearce's "Side Board-Sheraton," rendered around 1936. What a captivating piece of decorative art, meticulously crafted as a drawing! Editor: It’s funny, isn't it? Seeing a *drawing* of furniture. It makes me think of dollhouses, like this beautiful, miniaturized world, or even stage design! What do you make of it? Curator: I see a portal to the past. Notice the precision of the lines, the delicate watercolor washes—Pearce isn't just showing us a sideboard; he’s inviting us to consider the elegance of the Sheraton style, the era’s devotion to refined craftsmanship, almost an obsession with capturing that idealized vision. Does the somewhat faded color palette speak to you about temporality? Editor: Totally! It gives the impression of holding a relic. You mentioned that it’s from 1936 - Does it resemble any other styles popular at the time? Curator: The Sheraton style was an 18th-century innovation but enjoyed a revival in the early 20th. However, its graceful lines and emphasis on inlaid decoration were soon swept aside by Art Deco’s streamlined geometries, as you surely are well aware! Maybe Pearce sought solace in a return to Neoclassical harmony, maybe even as a gentle critique of the newer fashions… Don’t you wonder about the intention? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way! Thinking about the contrast between the styles that were popular really contextualizes the choice to represent this earlier period piece. Now that you mention it, I definitely wonder *why* he decided to draw a sideboard! It almost invites you to reach out and touch it – and maybe put it in your own dining room. Curator: Absolutely! It’s almost as if, by isolating this one object, the artist encourages us to find new wonder and significance within the everyday. Editor: That's a really thought-provoking idea. It makes me appreciate the artwork more deeply now!