Desk 1940

This 'Desk' by Ferdinand Cartier is an intriguing piece, made with watercolor and graphite on paper. Look at the way the wood grain is rendered, it’s almost hypnotic, like a topographic map of some unknown planet. The color palette is restrained, mostly browns and tans, but with subtle variations that give the desk a sense of depth and volume. The artist's hand is evident in the delicate linework and the way the colors bleed into each other. Notice the circular detail on each drawer. In isolation, it feels like an abstract motif, yet in the context of the piece, it enhances the furniture's ornate quality. Thinking about how the object is represented brings artists like Vija Celmins to mind, whose drawings share a similar commitment to detail. Art is a conversation, right? Anyway, there's a kind of quiet intensity to this work that I find really compelling. It invites you to slow down and appreciate the beauty of everyday objects, and the artistry that goes into representing them.