Circus Wagon Figure 1938

Lawrence Flynn made this watercolor on paper, showing a figure from a circus wagon. It’s not splashy with wild color; instead, it’s got this understated palette that feels like it's about process more than showmanship. The colors are muted, a mix of browns and grays, giving the figure a sculptural quality. Flynn doesn't hide the pencil marks, which gives the whole piece an unfinished, immediate feel, like a sketch you’re seeing as it comes to life. Look at the way the washes of color pool and blend. The subtle variations of tone bring out the form of the figure, and the small details of the drapery. The way the light falls across her shoulder and down her arm. I see a bit of Thomas Eakins in Flynn’s careful study of form and light, but with a touch more whimsy, maybe. It reminds me that art is always a conversation, artists learning from and riffing off each other across time. It’s a reminder to find beauty in the everyday, and to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.