Powder Pouch c. 1938

Howell Rosenbaum made this watercolor painting of a powder pouch at an unknown date. It looks like the kind of thing you’d find in an antique shop, something with a story. It’s funny how Rosenbaum renders the pouch with such care, each knot and curve given attention, but the overall effect feels loose. The color palette is minimal; shades of brown and gold, but within that constraint, there's so much variation. It’s like he’s exploring the possibilities of what he can do within a limited range. I am drawn to the bottom of the flask, where a kind of clam shell design has been carved into the surface. It reminds me of a Georgia O’Keefe flower, something ancient and timeless. I think of the work of Charles Burchfield, his watercolors of industrial buildings rendered with a personal and expressionistic style. What do you think?