Chair 1937

John Sullivan made this drawing of a chair, sometime in the 20th century, using pencil and watercolor. The coloring is all very muted, a kind of low-key harmony that feels both natural and a bit dreamlike. I like the way the colored pencil gives the form of the chair structure, while the watercolor softens everything. It's almost like Sullivan is finding a way to reconcile the solid, grounded nature of the chair with a more fluid, ephemeral quality. Look closely at how the seat is woven: it's all these tiny squares of color, purple, green, orange. Each little block is a decision, a tiny act of arranging and composing. It's a modest subject, a humble object. It reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter, who also found beauty in the everyday. But where Porter is all about light and atmosphere, Sullivan seems more interested in the quiet dignity of simple things. It's not trying to be flashy or profound, but it lingers in your mind, like a well-worn piece of furniture in a room.