Door Stop c. 1941

Gerard Barnett painted this unassuming object, a shoe, with watercolor. I like how the brown boot, rendered in delicate washes, hovers against the paper's pale ground. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi’s paintings of bottles, where everyday objects are elevated to a meditative state. Did Barnett choose this shoe for its shape, its history, its quiet presence? I bet he really looked at it, turning it over in his hands. The slightly wonky perspective, that adds to the painting's charm, makes me wonder if he struggled to capture its essence. It's like a beginner's painting but has such a specific style that I think he knew exactly what he was doing. Painters are always looking at other painters. I can see how an artist might look at this and feel a connection, and that connection might spur you on to make something new. It is this cycle that keeps art fresh and alive.