Iron Bank c. 1936

Vincent P. Rosel made this image of an Iron Bank with some graphite and watercolor. What strikes me is how Rosel makes the metallic surface of the bank almost glow through the watercolour. Look at how the light seems to catch on the metal, and how he uses delicate washes of color to create a sense of depth and volume. I think this isn't just about representation, it's about how we see, and how that seeing is a process. There's something almost dreamlike about the way the bank seems to float on the page, surrounded by these technical drawings. It's as if Rosel is inviting us to consider the bank not just as an object, but as an idea, a symbol of security, maybe even a little portal into the imagination. It reminds me of some of Giorgio Morandi's still life paintings, the way he took everyday objects and turned them into something mysterious. Ultimately it isn't about one interpretation, but the multiple possibilities of seeing, thinking, and feeling.