Settee - Sofa c. 1937

Edna Rex made this watercolor drawing of a settee, maybe she was thinking about how to design or decorate a room. I'm really struck by the fabric of the settee. There's something so intimate about it, this attention to detail, like she's trying to capture a moment or a feeling. The light bounces off each tuft, each fold, creating this soft, inviting texture. It's the kind of surface that makes you want to reach out and touch it, even though you know it's just paint on paper. I love the way Rex uses color to create depth and dimension. The muted tones give the piece a sense of quiet elegance, while the subtle variations in value suggest the play of light and shadow across the surface. It reminds me a little of Fairfield Porter, the way he finds beauty in the everyday and makes it sing.