Sofa c. 1936

This drawing of a sofa, by Florence Choate, it is like a dream, a design made of watercolor and graphite. The colors, mostly blues and greens, with the wood trim picked out in brown, create a sense of coolness, like being underwater, it’s like the sofa is holding its breath. I’m really drawn to the way Choate uses the graphite and watercolor to give the sofa’s upholstery a sense of depth. Look closely, and you can see the subtle variations in tone and texture that make the piece feel so real. That repetition of vertical stripes against the solid blue end panels give this couch a kind of split personality. Is it a place to rest, or just something pretty to look at? It reminds me a bit of the graphic quality of some of Agnes Martin’s grid paintings. There’s something so elegant and restrained about the whole composition. It embraces the idea that art can be both beautiful and functional, but maybe also a little bit strange.