Windsor Chair c. 1936

Gerald Bernhardt painted this Windsor Chair with a quiet, studious eye. I can imagine Bernhardt carefully observing the real-life chair, considering its form and function. The light seems to caress the wood, highlighting the soft curves and angles. You can almost feel the smoothness of the painted surface. The artist meticulously rendered the texture, color, and the physicality of the object. It makes me think about the simple intention that painting has: to capture a moment, an object, a feeling. Bernhardt shares with us his interest in the chair, as a familiar piece of furniture. By isolating it on the page, he invites us to consider its design. His painting has a sense of reverence for everyday objects. It encourages a new way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world.