Drop Leaf Table c. 1941

Dorothea Farrington made this drawing of a drop leaf table using what looks like watercolor or gouache on paper. I can imagine Farrington being very precise with her rendering here; building up the brown tones layer by layer. I wonder if she spent hours capturing the subtle shifts in color and light on the wood. I’m especially drawn to the legs of the table, and the shadows that ground it to the page. The artist shows us all the surfaces and planes in great detail. There is a real focus here on form, light and shadow. This feels very similar to the approach of artists like Agnes Martin, or even Giorgio Morandi. They were also extremely dedicated to depicting everyday objects with rigor and attention, reminding us that there is beauty to be found in the mundane. Artists are always looking, and learning from one another’s way of seeing, and being in the world. Each brushstroke, each mark contributes to our shared understanding.