Wooden Bench c. 1940

Edward Jewett created this "Wooden Bench" with what looks like watercolor or gouache. It’s really a drawing of a thing, rather than the thing itself, which is funny when you think about it. I love the color here, a pale, washy brown that gives the bench a kind of ghostly presence. The whole thing is rendered with such care. Look at the scalloped edges, each one precisely drawn, and the soft shadows that give the bench its form. You can almost feel the grain of the wood. It’s like Jewett is saying, “I see you, humble bench, and I honor your quiet existence.” It reminds me a bit of some of those Shaker drawings - that same attention to detail, that same sense of reverence for the everyday. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be loud or flashy. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is to really see something, and then show it to the rest of us.