Pa. German Child's Bank c. 1939

Luther D. Wenrich made this watercolor of a Pa. German Child’s Bank. Wenrich’s colour palette has a richness to it, that coppery hue gives it a kind of gravitas. What gets me, though, is the detail in the rooster on top, look how much texture Wenrich manages to render with just a few shades of brown. You can almost feel the weight of the object. It’s not just a picture; it’s an experience. The paint isn’t trying to hide; it's out in the open. There's a simplicity in this picture that reminds me of the paintings of Milton Avery. Both artists share a similar sense of quiet observation, finding depth in the everyday. It shows how art is really just a conversation across generations, about how we see the world.