Pa. German Tin Sconce c. 1937

William L. Antrim made this watercolor of a Pennsylvania German Tin Sconce, and I love how it captures the essence of everyday objects. The color palette, mostly muted browns and grays, really speaks to me about the humbleness of the object. Antrim's touch is so light, almost like a whisper. The way he renders the sconce, you can almost feel the cool, smooth texture of the metal. Notice the little details, like the leaves flanking the shield; they give it this beautiful, almost heraldic quality. The brushstrokes around the central design are loose and free, which keeps the piece from feeling too rigid. It's like he's saying, "Hey, this is just a thing, but it's also kind of special." It reminds me of some of Fairfield Porter’s domestic interiors; that sense of quiet observation, finding beauty in the mundane. It's a conversation between artists across time, about how we see and value the world around us.