Chest c. 1937

Curator: This drawing, created around 1937 by Francis Borelli, depicts a carved wooden chest, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil. My immediate impression is of a fascinating intersection of tradition and personal expression, but with slightly subdued palette, almost as if it were evoking the past. What do you see? Editor: It strikes me as almost stubbornly traditional, maybe even conservative. It's a well-executed rendering, but the subject matter – a heavily ornamented chest – speaks of domestic stability and perhaps a yearning for a bygone era, particularly interesting given the impending World War. Curator: That’s interesting! To me, the choice of rendering something like a chest signifies an investment in symbols of stability but also lineage. The intricate carvings act as more than decoration; they are imbued with cultural memory. Notice how the artist used trees on either side of the lock on top: these visual representations of arboreal forms reach deep into the human psyche, speaking of growth, shelter, and connection to ancestors. It's less about conservatism than it is about a profound continuity. Editor: But doesn’t the very act of creating a meticulously detailed drawing of an object like this also point to the artist's engagement with craft and a potential rejection of industrialization that marked the time period? There’s a push and pull here - a yearning for simplicity amid complexity. The choice of medium too, watercolor and colored pencil on paper, feels deliberately ‘unmonumental’, even as it depicts a robust object meant for practical, material purpose. It invites scrutiny, like a detailed historical document inviting our careful analysis. Curator: Precisely! The choice of medium, like Borelli selected watercolor and coloured pencil, is crucial, adding a layer of intimacy and a feeling of precarity that would be lost in a painting done in a material like oil on canvas, that is known for its permanence. The "unmonumental" nature brings the cultural symbols within reach. This way, psychological connection isn’t severed with cultural amnesia; these ideas and symbols stay alive and adaptable. Editor: Thinking about the moment, I do find myself wondering who Borelli was intending to create this "Chest" for, and what role a drawing like this might play, as this wasn't created for mass consumption as an illustration or advertisement, and likely meant for study or reflection. This drawing then is really asking us to question what images are “for” at given moments, what is the intention, if one at all? Curator: A perfect point – the intimacy combined with a quiet visual legacy leaves the audience considering material culture anew through history and personal stories. Editor: I agree. There’s more here than just a rendering of old furniture. It reveals so much more about a complex relationship between individuals, families, history and a wider culture through everyday items.