Rocking Chair: Bishop Hill 1935 - 1942

William Spiecker's 'Rocking Chair: Bishop Hill' is an intriguing painting, seemingly made with gouache, that pulls you into the quiet stillness of domestic life. The chair is painted with a limited, dark palette. Look at the way Spiecker renders the wood. It’s as if he is feeling the material's texture, the grain of the wood, and its smooth curves. The paint isn’t thick, but you can see how he layers the tones to create shadows and highlights. It’s the kind of painting that makes you think about how we construct our world through the things we surround ourselves with, and the memories they hold. The rocking chair itself becomes a stand-in for comfort, history, and home. It reminds me of Fairfield Porter’s paintings of his house. Both artists use the everyday as a way of accessing deeper emotions. Art, like a rocking chair, invites contemplation.