Tall Clock c. 1938

Ferdinand Cartier made this watercolour on paper, called ‘Tall Clock’, and it's all about the beauty of precision. I can imagine Cartier deeply engaged with the act of painting, carefully mapping out his composition. He’s building up each form with delicate strokes, one touch at a time. The smooth surface of the paper allows for an immaculate rendering of the clock. Cartier is celebrating the object, while also making a flat thing sing with light and depth. The lines are crisp, each plane carefully described by the artist. The use of watercolour lends itself to capturing the subtle shifts in colour and texture of the wooden clock. It’s like he’s saying: hey, look at this ordinary thing and realize that it is quite extraordinary. It’s a painting that quietly insists that we slow down, take our time, and notice the world around us. I think of other painters like Giorgio Morandi who find endless fascination and inspiration in depicting the familiar.