Old Dresser c. 1936

Mary E. Humes made this watercolor and graphite drawing of an old dresser at an unknown date. The tones and mark-making are very even, like a careful study. The process feels more akin to documentation than invention. Look at how Humes rendered the woodgrain. It's almost like a topographical map, a swirling landscape of brown and tan. The surface of the paper is smooth, so all of the texture comes from the way she layered the washes of color. See how those rounded forms above each drawer almost create the illusion of movement? This drawing reminds me of the Shaker furniture drawings, so precise and humble. You get the sense that this artist really looked, and I mean *really* looked at the object. Art can be about so many things, but it's often about seeing the world anew. Seeing it plain and then remaking it.