Pa. German Table c. 1938

Frances Lichten made "Pa. German Table" with watercolor, and it's like she's trying to capture the soul of this little piece of furniture, not just its surface. The browns and reddish hues are applied with a delicate touch, letting the light bounce around, and you can almost feel the quiet simplicity of Pennsylvania German craftsmanship. Look at how she renders the tabletop: thin layers of transparent washes, built up to suggest the wood's texture, and the way the light hits the golden handle on the drawer. Lichten isn’t hiding her process; instead, she’s revealing it, brushstroke by brushstroke. The whole thing feels so light, so airy, almost like a memory. This reminds me a bit of Charles Demuth’s watercolors – that same focus on simple, everyday objects rendered with such care. Ultimately, Lichten isn't just painting a table; she's celebrating the beauty of everyday life and inviting us to slow down and appreciate the world around us.