Hitchcock Rocker 1935 - 1942

David S. De Vault's "Hitchcock Rocker," made sometime in the 1930s or 40s, is a humble watercolor sketch, full of the charm of folk art. I can imagine De Vault hunched over his paper, carefully rendering each detail of the chair, from the woven seat to the delicate floral patterns adorning the back. The thin washes of paint create a soft, almost dreamlike quality. I'm drawn to the way the artist captured the light glinting off the dark wood, adding depth and dimension to what could have been a simple, flat depiction. I love how the artist uses the orange and ochre to accent the black. It's funny how a simple image of a chair can evoke so much. To me, this piece is as much about observation and documentation, as it is about an appreciation for the everyday objects that surround us. It reminds me of other artists, like Fairfield Porter, who found beauty in the mundane and turned it into something extraordinary.