Traveling Basket c. 1938

Vincent P. Rosel painted this "Traveling Basket" with watercolor, and you can almost feel him feeling his way around it. The color palette is so warm, a dance of browns and tans that makes you think of earth, and simple things, like bread. He's not showing off, just carefully laying down the lines. It's like he wants you to slow down, and notice how one thing connects to another. Look at those little woven details, each one is carefully placed, and it builds this pattern that's both sturdy and delicate. He must have taken his time, really getting into the rhythm of the weave, the way the light catches on each strand. It reminds me of Agnes Martin, but instead of searching for the sublime in abstraction, Rosel found it in the everyday. It all feels really patient, like a conversation you're happy to get lost in.