Built-in Cabinet 1937

Marius Hansen made this watercolor painting of a Built-in Cabinet, we don't know exactly when. The careful washes of color that define the wood grain, for me, speak to a process of layering and building up, which is kind of like how I paint. It's all about those accumulated marks. The texture in this piece is achieved so delicately; you can almost feel the smooth surface of the wood, and the play of light across it. Look at how Hansen uses thin, transparent layers of brown and amber to create depth and shadow. It’s pretty masterful. See that subtle variation in the color of the doors? They're not just flat planes; they have a gentle curve, a hint of volume. This is how Hansen gives the object its weight and presence. The shadow on the wall is so convincing, but it also feels a bit…off, or stylized. I think about the work of someone like Fairfield Porter, with that interest in domestic interiors, in the beauty of everyday life. But with a touch of something else, something strange and dreamlike.