Rocking Chair 1938

Dorothy Handy made this drawing of a rocking chair, we don't know exactly when, but the marks give us clues. The soft colored pencils create a quiet, domestic scene. It's like she's documenting the world around her, one object at a time, with love. Look closely, and you can see how Handy layers the colors, building up the form of the chair with delicate strokes. The woven seat has this incredible texture, achieved through a web of tiny lines. You can almost feel the give of it under your weight. The grain of the wood is rendered with so much care, you feel you could reach out and touch it. It is an artwork that revels in process and close looking. Handy’s rocking chair reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter. Not so much in style, but in the way both artists find something profound in the ordinary. It’s a reminder that art can be found in the everyday, and that there's beauty in simplicity.