Shaker Cabinet c. 1941

Edward D. Williams made this drawing of a "Shaker Cabinet," with who knows what. The color palette is very restricted and muted, like a memory. The rendering is so precise, which almost gives it a deadpan, matter-of-fact feel. But the way the light falls, kinda soft and even, gives it a warmth, too. I'm drawn to the doors of the cabinet. Some are open, inviting us in, but others are closed. It is a metaphor for secrets or the stories held within objects. The surface has a slightly mottled effect and suggests a depth to the wood. The careful hatching shows an awareness of form and structure. I wonder if he was a carpenter or furniture maker himself? Williams's drawing reminds me a bit of Charles Sheeler’s paintings, especially in the way he flattens space and focuses on the clean lines and geometry of everyday objects. But where Sheeler is cool and detached, Williams is, I dunno, a bit more intimate, like he really loved this cabinet.