High-Back Side Chair c. 1937

Arthur Johnson made this "High-Back Side Chair" drawing with graphite and colored pencil on paper. It's all about seeing how something is made, right? The thing that grabs me here is the way the dark graphite outlines create this depth – it’s not just a flat depiction. You can feel the texture of the carved wood, and the way the colored pencil fills it in feels almost reverential. Look at the curlicues on the legs, how each one is carefully rendered, like a little dance. And the woven seat? It’s got this fantastic tension between the geometric grid and the organic feel of the material. This drawing reminds me a little of Charles Demuth, in that they both depict everyday objects with a kind of precision that elevates them into something special. It makes you think about the care and attention that goes into making even the simplest things around us.