Piano c. 1936

Ferdinand Cartier made this watercolor of a piano at an unknown date. It's a really careful piece with lots of attention paid to getting all the details right. Look at how he's rendered the wood grain on the body of the piano. He's using thin, watery washes of brown paint to build up the layers, like he's glazing the surface. There's a lovely contrast between the dark, rich browns of the piano body and the bright, almost luminous gold of the decorative details. I wonder what it feels like to get the colours that right. And check out the legs. They're so ornate, with all those little twists and turns. It's like Cartier is showing off his skill as a draughtsman, he really wants to get it right. I'm reminded of the work of Charles Demuth, another artist who combined a love of precision with a real feeling for color. Both artists show us that there's always something new to discover.