Pack Saddle c. 1940

This is a watercolour painting of a pack saddle by Cornelius Christoffels. You can see how carefully he built up the image through layering and subtle tonal shifts. I can almost feel the artist’s focus as he patiently rendered each element, from the weathered wood grain to the worn leather straps. I wonder what Christoffels was thinking about as he painted. Was he remembering the feel of the saddle? The weight of the load it carried? Did he think about the animal it would sit on? I love how the muted palette – earthy browns, faded blues, and creamy whites – gives the work a quiet, contemplative mood. The way he captures the rough texture of the wood and the soft pliability of the leather is really something. This piece makes me think about other artists who found beauty in the everyday and the overlooked. The way an artist translates the world around them, transforming a humble object into something beautiful. We’re all in conversation, you know? We build on each other’s ideas, we riff on each other’s techniques, and we keep the dialogue going.