Cupboard c. 1937

Florence Truelson made this small-sized ‘Cupboard’ painting with watercolor and graphite. I can imagine Truelson bending over her desk, squinting and sketching, trying to capture every little detail of that massive 7-foot cupboard in a humble 21-inch painting. There's a real tenderness in the way she renders the wood grain. Like she is caressing it with her eyes and brush. And those pops of green inside, oh my! They bring such a sense of surprise and coziness to the piece. Maybe she was thinking about the secret lives of furniture. Or how an open drawer is like an invitation to peek inside someone's mind. It reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter, how he took ordinary domestic scenes and elevated them to something profound. It’s as if she’s in conversation with all of art history, whispering secrets only painters understand. Isn't it wild how a simple painting can open up a whole universe?