Footstool c. 1936

Frank Nelson made this footstool drawing with watercolor. Look at the muted greens and the thin, controlled lines. It reminds us that art can be found in the everyday, not just in grand gestures. There’s something wonderfully tender about the way Nelson renders the footstool, it is neither flat nor fully dimensional. The texture of the paper peeks through, adding a gentle grittiness that contrasts the smooth, almost artificial, quality of the object depicted. Notice the highlights, like the thin gold lines around the top, and how they bring a touch of whimsy to the piece. The legs in particular have an almost cartoon-like feel. It makes me think of other artists who found beauty in the mundane, like Giorgio Morandi with his quiet still-lifes. Nelson invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, finding poetry in the most unexpected places.