Sanctuary Chair 1941

This is William Kieckhofel's Sanctuary Chair, made with graphite and watercolour wash on paper. It’s all about process, isn’t it? You can almost feel Kieckhofel puzzling out how to capture this object, line by line, mark by mark. The texture is so present, look how the graphite and watercolour create a sense of wood grain, it's all rough and imperfect. It's not about hiding the evidence of the hand. The chair is a muted, earthy palette, all browns and tans, and it has this incredible stillness. The artist really wants you to see how solid this thing is, how it fits together. Focus on the front of the seat, those scalloped details. Each one is slightly different, a testament to the human touch. It reminds us that art isn't about perfection but about the messy, beautiful act of trying to capture something real. It has echoes of Charles Sheeler's precise industrial forms combined with a more personal, handmade feel. Art is a conversation and exchange of ideas across time.