Wall Mirror c. 1938

Raymond Manupelli made this "Wall Mirror" using pencil and watercolor, though we don't know exactly when. The dark frame and gold leaf-like flourishes are so striking. I imagine Manupelli, hunched over this piece, carefully delineating each curve and line. He's thinking about depth, reflection, and how the mirror will be a portal, a surface, and an object all at once. The wood of the frame is rendered in tight, parallel lines with a beautiful reddish-brown. The pillars on each side seem to support a void in the mirror. The reflections in the mirror are hazy, like memories. It makes me think about how artists, through their rendering of everyday objects, invite us to pause and really *see* the world around us, noticing the beauty in the mundane. In that way, artists are always in conversation with one another. It’s like they are saying: “Hey, look at this! Isn’t it amazing?”