Pioneer Bath Tub 1935 - 1942

This is an anonymous watercolor of a pioneer bathtub, probably made to record what life was like on the move. It’s so matter-of-fact, like a diagram, but the hand of the artist warms it up. The colors are muted and naturalistic, mostly browns and grays, reflecting the humble materials it's made from. The artist really paid attention to texture. You can almost feel the rough, flaky surface of the bark. Look at the little details, like the way the light catches the rim, and how the metal brackets at the bottom add a touch of refinement. The whole thing feels very delicate, vulnerable even. It reminds me of some of the still-life paintings by Giorgio Morandi, who also took humble, everyday objects and made them feel monumental and profound. In the end, art is not about perfection, but about feeling and communicating. This unassuming watercolor does exactly that.