Grocery Store 1935 - 1942

This watercolour entitled ‘Grocery Store’ was painted by Perkins Harnly. It’s a real exercise in perspective – look at all those receding lines, each tiny package carefully delineated. Harnly’s touch is so delicate, and the muted tones create a sort of hushed atmosphere. It’s not about the hustle and bustle of commerce, but something more contemplative, like a stage set waiting for the actors to arrive. Notice how Harnly renders the textures of the wood, the glass jars, and the paper labels. It's meticulous. Your eye is drawn to the centre of the image, where the ornate red coffee grinder sits like a throne. This is where the mundane becomes almost regal! There’s an element of obsessive cataloguing at play here, a focus on the everyday that reminds me a little of Joseph Cornell, who also saw magic in the mundane. Ultimately, this grocery store is a celebration of observation, a reminder that there's beauty and complexity to be found even in the most unexpected places.