Utility Table 1937

Henry Tomaszewski made this watercolor, *Utility Table*, on paper, and it's just gorgeous. You can imagine the artist carefully layering the washes to describe this simple table; it's almost like a portrait. I wonder what Tomaszewski was thinking as he painstakingly rendered the woodgrain, the subtle shadows, the way the light catches on the tabletop. It's so interesting how he’s chosen to depict a mundane object with such care. The delicate washes create a sense of depth and volume and a kind of humble beauty. Artists are always looking at each other's work, riffing, and responding, you know? This reminds me of some of the Shaker furniture drawings – simple, functional objects elevated to art through careful observation and skilled rendering. Like those artists, here, Tomaszewski transforms the ordinary into something special.