Cupboard 1937

Alfred H. Smith made this watercolour painting of a cupboard, its door and drawers rendered in shades of honey. There’s something about the way the artist has chosen to depict this simple scene of pared-back furniture that really intrigues me. I find myself wondering what Smith was thinking as he painted. Did he spend hours figuring out the exact tone of the wood, or did he work more intuitively? The drawers, lined up in a vertical stack, each with a dark round knob, have a solid presence, which is countered by the odd detail of what looks like a door ajar, floating without a handle. The subtle play of light on the wood and floor creates a sense of depth, and the architectural lines offer structure, yet the overall effect is dreamlike. This work reminds me of Magritte’s surreal paintings of domestic spaces, where everyday objects are rendered strange and unfamiliar. Both artists invite us to see the world in a new light, to question the way we perceive reality, and to recognise that what we see is never quite what it seems.