Bridle Bit 1935 - 1942

Cecil Smith rendered these bridle bits in watercolor on paper. I can imagine Smith carefully mapping the geography of the metal object with their brush. The brown pigment is like a skin laid gently over the forms. The details of these tools – the metal worn by time and use – hint at the untold stories held within the object, prompting me to think about the life and experiences of the artist. What was Smith thinking? Were they a horse rider, a lover of the outdoors, perhaps? Did they create this painting with a sense of nostalgia, preserving a fleeting moment in time? There’s a quietness in this work, a stillness, and that makes me think of Agnes Martin. Like Martin, Smith’s painting slows us down. It invites us to pause, breathe, and consider the simple beauty of line and tone and the way artists can bring their own kind of quietness into the world.