Side Chair (one of six) 1936

Alfred Nason made this watercolor of a side chair, one of a set of six, sometime in the 20th century. The muted palette gives a sense of history. It’s a very process-oriented piece; you can see the marks of the brush, the build-up of color. Looking closely, I love how the chair is rendered with such care and attention to detail. The texture of the wood, the plush velvet seat, even the delicate chain trim are all rendered with a kind of tender precision. It's as if Nason wasn't just depicting a chair, but really trying to capture its essence. The deep purple of the seat, with its almost velvety texture, contrasts so beautifully with the cool tone of the paper around it. It’s a quiet painting, but it has a real emotional depth to it. This piece reminds me a little of the work of Charles Demuth, with its focus on everyday objects and its almost photographic attention to detail. Of course, Nason's approach is much more intimate and personal, but there's a shared interest in finding beauty and meaning in the ordinary.