Gate-legged Dining Table c. 1939

Amos C. Brinton made this watercolor, "Gate-legged Dining Table," with watercolor, I assume. Look at those browns! Earthy and warm, they bring the wood to life on the page. I am just imagining the artist observing the table, trying to capture every grain, every detail of the structure with such care. I wonder what Amos was thinking? Was he interested in the craft of the table, the play of light on its surface, or something else entirely? There is a certain precision in the brushstrokes, a dedication to the objectness of the table. You see, the subtle variations in tone give depth to the drawer, the legs, and the tabletop, all of which suggest he was trying to communicate a sense of the material reality. It is a little like Fairfield Porter's work, but flatter, more descriptive. I imagine Amos and Fairfield in dialogue, each considering how to represent the world around them.