Piece of Homespun Wool c. 1938

Hugh Clarke made this ‘Piece of Homespun Wool’ using watercolor and graphite. The colors are muted, dusky pinks, creams, and dark reds, a limited palette that almost feels aged or faded. The touch of graphite gives the woven wool texture definition, like a very fine pencil drawing over watercolor. Up close, you can see how Clarke captures the physicality of the wool. It is’t just a flat pattern. The frayed edges and the slight irregularities in the weave are all lovingly rendered. In the top right-hand corner, the dark red block, you can almost feel the thickness of the material. The small stray threads at the top add a sense of vulnerability and imperfection, like an old blanket that’s been well used. There’s something about the attention to detail, the quiet observation of this simple textile, that reminds me of Agnes Martin’s minimalist grids. Both artists find beauty in the everyday, elevating humble materials through careful, deliberate mark-making. With the homespun wool, Clarke isn't just showing us a piece of fabric; he's inviting us to contemplate the labor, history, and intimacy embedded within it.