Brick-a-brack Shelf c. 1936

Editor: This is "Brick-a-brack Shelf," a watercolor and drawing made around 1936 by Julie C. Brush. It’s a very straightforward rendering of a shelf, kind of plain. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, that plainness *is* the magic, isn't it? It’s almost like a stage set, waiting for its players, or a memory trying to solidify. I keep thinking about how the ‘30s were a time of immense change and maybe, just maybe, Brush was longing for a bit of the past or perhaps imagining a future filled with… well, with shelves holding beloved trinkets! I'm also struck by the color palette. What do you think of the muted reds and browns? Editor: I didn’t even consider that! They’re very subdued. Almost melancholic? It definitely adds to that sense of longing, like an old photograph. And I do wonder, what does “brick-a-brack” mean anyway? Curator: Good question! It simply refers to inexpensive ornaments or pretty objects of little value. Thinking of it in that context… perhaps this image is subtly nudging us to find beauty in the ordinary, the everyday? We often overlook the simple things, don't we? Even… shelves! Or perhaps, the opposite. The shelves themselves, though intended for brick-a-brack, have their own charm in form. Almost baroque? Editor: I never would have considered it that way. I think I was too quick to judge its “plainness” without digging a bit deeper. Curator: Precisely! And isn't that a fine reminder, in art and in life? The richest stories often whisper in the quietest corners. Editor: Definitely gives me a new appreciation for both the shelf and the painting itself.