Carousel Horse c. 1938

This ‘Carousel Horse’ was made with watercolor on paper by Samuel Fineman in 1894. Look at the pale colors and thin washes he used to depict it – what an exercise in understated elegance! I can imagine Fineman carefully delineating this paper horse, outlining it first and then slowly building up the colors in light, transparent layers. He must have understood the object intimately. He was likely thinking of how the original object he saw could enchant and beguile children on funfair rides. He would have captured the way the light shimmered off its painted surface, and wanted to bring this feeling into his piece. The muted color palette adds a strange poignancy to the drawing. The spotted decoration and small details, like the simplified sketch of a horse in the top right corner, create a delightful contrast. The light touch and careful rendering speaks to me of folk art and American primitive painting. It's like he's reminding us of the simple pleasures in life. He's reminding us to have fun!