Windsor Chair c. 1935

Curator: I find this watercolor and drawing of a "Windsor Chair" to be utterly charming. It was created by Adele Brooks, circa 1935. There is such softness to it. Editor: It has an almost dreamlike quality, doesn't it? Given its date, what can you tell me about its production in that specific context? Curator: Well, Brooks likely selected this subject due to the Windsor chair's renewed popularity as a symbol of Americana during the Colonial Revival period. Think of it as a reaction against industrialization—a longing for handcrafted, simpler times. Editor: A romanticized vision of the past certainly served certain socio-political needs during the Depression era. The chair isn't just an object here; it’s a statement about labor, craft, and national identity, rendered in this medium to harken back to that aesthetic. Curator: Exactly. And note how meticulously Brooks rendered the textures of the wood in watercolor, focusing on light and shadow and how they play across the surface. I wonder how many studies she made prior. Editor: It’s more than just skill. By choosing a domestic object rooted in both function and history, the piece speaks to the increasing commercial appeal of the past, the reproduction of traditional forms as mass-produced goods—the same object as an industrial output. Were images such as this sold commercially? Curator: Quite possibly! Images of antique furniture gained a popular revival that played out on advertising material of the time, connecting current mass produced products and historicized notions of good taste and artisanship. Editor: It is interesting that Brooks focused on this particular version of the Windsor chair, this hybrid school desk model. What statement do you think she makes by placing an emphasis on study? Curator: Maybe a simple nostalgia for school days and memories attached to them. Still, it's a thoughtful rendition of a familiar, utilitarian object transformed into a delicate study in light and shadow. I find this all together satisfying to discover connections in this lovely watercolor by Adele Brooks. Editor: Agreed. There is something about its very quaintness that speaks volumes.