Brass Lamp c. 1939

William O. Fletcher made this painting, “Brass Lamp,” with watercolor on paper. It’s such a quiet, observational piece. I can imagine Fletcher hunched over, meticulously layering thin washes of watercolor, trying to capture the soft glow and shadows on the brass. It's like he's trying to understand the world through the act of painting. Look at how he handles the light, creating depth and dimension with subtle gradations of green and gold. It reminds me of those old still life paintings, but with a fresh, almost naive perspective. There’s a certain reverence for the everyday object, elevating it to something worthy of contemplation. I wonder if he was thinking about the function of the lamp, the stories it could tell, or simply enjoying the challenge of rendering its form. Either way, Fletcher’s work invites us to slow down and appreciate the beauty in the mundane. We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, trying to make sense of things through color and form.