Settee 1936

Editor: Here we have John Dieterich's "Settee," created in 1936 using watercolor and other media on paper. It's… striking! A very formal, almost imposing little sofa rendered in intense, saturated reds. It feels like it’s vibrating. What do you see in it? Curator: Ah, yes. The "Settee." For me, it's an invitation to a parlor, isn't it? I see the echoes of long conversations, maybe whispered secrets over steaming cups of tea. Notice how the impasto almost creates a palpable texture; you can almost feel the velvet against your skin. Do you get the impression, though, that this isn’t about comfort, but about… presentation? Editor: Absolutely! It does feel less about sinking in and more about… sitting properly. Is it me, or is there almost something a little bit theatrical about it? Like it belongs on a stage rather than in a living room? Curator: You nailed it. Think about the date, 1936. The world was teetering, darling. This kind of formality, this clinging to an established aesthetic, can read as a kind of… defiance, almost a desperate elegance. Do you think Dieterich chose watercolor to soften the blow? The transparency lends a ghostly effect. Editor: I didn’t think about the choice of medium that way! I was too busy being overwhelmed by the red. So, it's like the artist used fragility, that watercolour-y delicacy, as a form of resistance. That's intense. Curator: Exactly! Sometimes the most powerful statements are made in the quietest tones, or the softest of colors, perhaps. It seems Dieterich felt so too! Editor: Well, I'll definitely look at watercolors differently now. Thanks!