Study for Proposed Portfolio "Decorated Chests of Rural Pennsylvania" 1941

This is a painting called 'Study for Proposed Portfolio "Decorated Chests of Rural Pennsylvania"' and it's unsigned so it's by an anonymous artist. Looking at it, the way the colors sit flat and the lines are so clear makes me think about how much the process matters. It’s not about hiding the work, but showing it. The paint isn't trying to trick you into seeing depth, it's just, you know, *there*. The texture, the thickness of the lines defining the flower petals and the pot - it’s all saying something about the maker’s hand. Like, look how each petal is carefully outlined. It's as if the artist is mapping out a whole world of feeling. It's not just a flower, it's an idea of a flower. And that makes me think of other artists who used simple forms to create something emotionally huge, like Agnes Martin, or even Hilma af Klint. They weren't trying to copy nature, they were trying to express something bigger.