Pa. German Carved Wooden Chicken c. 1937

Robert Harlow made this watercolor of a Pa. German Carved Wooden Chicken sometime between 1855 and 1995. You can see it from above, and from the side. I imagine him carefully laying down each wash of color to capture the subtleties of light and shadow on the carved wood. It’s like he’s thinking through the form, figuring it out as he goes. I sympathize with the artist as he works to translate the three-dimensional object onto the two-dimensional plane. He's not just copying, he's interpreting. The earthy palette and the attention to detail in the carving’s texture remind me of folk art traditions, where everyday objects are elevated through craftsmanship and artistic vision. It’s like he’s saying, "Look closely, there's beauty in the ordinary." And you know, that's a lesson worth remembering, whether you're an artist or just someone walking through a museum.