Boston Rocker c. 1938

Einar Heiberg made this watercolor of a "Boston Rocker" - sometime, we don't know exactly when, but isn't that often the case? - and the overall tonality is very dark, like mahogany with these lighter decorative elements. I love the contrast between the smooth, almost cartoon-like rendering of the overall form with the intricate details that give this chair its character. Look closely at the top of the chair. See how Heiberg uses these delicate, almost floral motifs to create a sense of depth and texture, playing with light and shadow. You can almost feel the artist's hand, carefully building up the layers of color to give the surface its luster. There's something so appealing about the graphic flatness of the image, like a memory of a chair, or a dream of a chair, floating in space. It reminds me a little of the furniture drawings of contemporary artists like Joanne Greenbaum - this idea of ​​furniture as a starting point for exploring the dynamics of form, color, and gesture. It feels like an invitation to slow down, to look closely, and to consider all the many layers of meaning embedded in the simplest of things.