Watch, Frame and Case c. 1936

Harry G. Aberdeen made this study of a watch in pencil and watercolor on paper. Looking at it, I think about the process of studying an object and finding ways to represent it in visual form. It's a beautiful thing to see something and want to understand how it's made, and how it works. This is a work of technical drawing, but it's also a work of art. I see the gears, the inner workings, and the cover with its decorative embellishments. There’s an incredible level of detail. I imagine Aberdeen, sitting with the watch, and meticulously drawing each part. The grey parts are rendered in delicate washes of watercolor; the gold has a kind of glow. I wonder what his other works look like. If I was still teaching, I would bring this to class and we could all look at it.