Carousel Horse c. 1939

Henry Murphy painted this watercolor of a carousel horse, but when, we just don't know. It's a tender rendering, with careful lines defining the form against a flat, muted blue ground. You know, watercolor can be tricky. It’s all about control, and how much you’re willing to let go. Here, the delicate washes of white and cream suggest the carved details of the horse, the gold trim and chestnut colored saddle. I love the almost reverent way the artist has painted the saddle. The way it makes the horse looks solid, not like the ghosts of rides past. The horse is caught mid-prance, but it looks like it's just paused for a moment, caught in the stillness of the blue. Murphy's approach reminds me a bit of Joseph Stella, with that same fascination for the beauty of the everyday, the kind of stuff we often overlook. Art is always talking to other art, across time, across mediums, don't you think?