Secretary c. 1937

Ernest A. Towers Jr. created this watercolor of a Secretary, and what strikes me is its dedication to its subject, to the point that you could almost reach out and touch the wood grain. Look closely, and you'll notice that the grain isn't simply painted; it's coaxed into existence with tiny, deliberate strokes. The surface is alive with variations, from the deep reddish browns to the paler, almost translucent highlights. The symmetry gives a formal quality, but the hand-rendered texture disrupts this, lending the piece a certain humaneness. My gaze is drawn to the lower cabinet doors, where the artist has meticulously rendered the carved details, the tiny shadows giving depth to the leaves, like a personal signature, both intimate and grand. This kind of detailed attention reminds me of Charles Burchfield's watercolors; a similar eye for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. It’s a tender act of looking. It’s not just about representation but about truly seeing.