Tall Clock c. 1939

Francis Borelli made this painting of a "Tall Clock" at an unknown date with what looks like watercolor on paper. It shows an old-fashioned clock, one of those grandfather clocks, rendered with lots of attention to the wood grain. I can imagine Borelli, in his time, looking at this object, thinking about time, maybe even feeling a sense of nostalgia for the past. He then picked up his brush. The paint is quite thin, allowing for a smooth surface, and the colors are muted, mostly browns and tans, which give the clock a sense of age and history. What strikes me most is the careful rendering of the wood grain, which gives the clock its unique character. I see him working away, thinking about how to best represent it with his brush. It's as if Borelli is sharing his vision with us, inviting us to contemplate the passage of time and the beauty of everyday objects. And how it reminds us that artists build upon one another, continuing a timeless conversation across generations.