Lowboy c. 1936

Alfred Walbeck made this lovely watercolour on paper drawing of a Lowboy, but we don't know exactly when. I can only imagine him hunched over a table with a magnifying glass in one hand and a tiny brush in the other, trying to capture every little detail of this elegant piece of furniture. Look how the reddish-brown wood grain shimmers! It’s a great example of how artists can get completely absorbed in the process of looking. Walbeck has really nailed those gracefully curved legs. They almost seem to be dancing across the floor. This drawing is reminiscent of the work of other artists who, over the centuries, have meticulously rendered the objects of daily life, inviting us to pause and really appreciate their forms and textures. Ultimately, art is a grand conversation, a timeless dialogue, and Lowboy shows how artists inspire each other to see the world with fresh eyes.