Side View of Hartford Chest c. 1936

Martin Partyka made this drawing of a Hartford Chest, sometime between 1855 and 1995, using pencil and watercolor. The process here is all about precision, delineating every line, contour, and edge of the cabinet. Look at how Partyka captures the wood grain with short parallel lines. The texture feels smooth, almost polished, not rough at all. The subtle use of red highlights gives the chest a kind of warmth and liveliness, like a flushed face. The lines are so clear and controlled. But you can tell it’s a drawing, not a photograph, because there’s a slight looseness. It reminds me of the work of Agnes Martin, where simple grids and soft colors become deeply meditative. But here, instead of abstraction, it's a careful observation of a real thing. Ultimately, Partyka invites us to see the beauty in the everyday and the extraordinary in the ordinary.