Chair c. 1936

Edgar L. Pearce drew "Chair" with a pencil on paper and watercolour, creating a detailed, almost architectural rendering. I’m thinking about the artist hunched over this drawing, carefully measuring and recording the dimensions of this simple chair. It’s kind of like a portrait, right? Like the chair is sitting for them. The chair itself, all straight lines and woven seat, has a kind of humble elegance. And then the almost technical approach, with the added blueprint in the top left corner, suggests a reverence for craft and design. The colours are muted, earthy, and the lines precise. You can feel the artist's hand in every line, every brushstroke. It’s like they’re saying: look, even the most ordinary object, when truly seen and understood, holds a kind of beauty. And that beauty, captured with care and attention, can be a thing of wonder. Pearce helps us to really appreciate the art of design.