Chest (Front View) c. 1936

Lawrence Flynn made this drawing of a Chest sometime in the first half of the twentieth century. It’s mostly done in reddish-brown ink, with ornamental flourishes in white. I can imagine Flynn carefully planning the design, mapping out the placement of each swirl and floral motif, and using simple lines to create something really striking and visually engaging. You know, looking at this chest, I can almost feel Flynn's presence, his concentration as he worked. I wonder if he was listening to music, or if he was thinking about the person who owned this chest. There’s a real sense of love and attention to detail here. The white lines are so playful, like a dance across the surface, echoing folk art from different eras. They remind me of some of Henri Matisse's drawings. This drawing makes me think about how artists are always looking at each other, borrowing and riffing on ideas, and how folk art offers artists such an amazing source of inspiration. When we look at a piece like this, we’re not just seeing an object – we're seeing a conversation between artists across time.