Love Seat c. 1942

This Love Seat was drawn by Ralph Morton at an unknown date with what looks like watercolour. The creamy ground contrasts with the sharp delineations of the furniture. The way the lines are so exact almost makes the image look computer generated, but the shading is far too nuanced for that. The image has a curious flatness, almost as if it were a collage of paper. I love how the stripes on the seat cushion bend around the curve of the love seat. The wood is so carefully rendered that it looks as if you could reach out and touch it. The artist uses a limited palette, relying on subtle variations in tone and value to create depth and dimension. The overall effect is one of quiet contemplation, inviting us to consider the beauty of everyday objects. It reminds me of the work of Thomas Demand, who photographs paper models of real-life settings, blurring the line between reality and representation. In the end, isn't all art just a conversation between images, each one building on what came before?