Andiron 1935 - 1942

E.N. Dunne made this watercolour drawing of an Andiron, but we don't know exactly when. The layered washes create a gentle sense of depth, but everything remains on the surface. The rendering is so delicate, you can almost feel the cool smoothness of the metal. See how Dunne uses these subtle tonal shifts to suggest the reflective qualities of the bronze? It's fascinating how just a few shades of gold and brown can trick your eye into seeing something solid and three-dimensional. I find it interesting that Dunne, who was a designer, devoted so much care to depicting this functional object. It reminds me of Charles Sheeler's precisionist paintings of factories, which find beauty in the mundane. It speaks to the way art can elevate everyday life. It makes you think about design as an ongoing dialogue, each object a new contribution to the conversation.