Hardware Shop Sign 1937

Alice Stearns made this hardware shop sign sometime in the 20th century with watercolor and graphite on paper. The monochrome palette of earthy browns and greys gives it a grounded, practical feel, like the tools it depicts. The texture in this piece is fascinating. It's all on paper, but Stearns has created an illusion of depth and relief. Look at the edges of the wooden semi-circle, see how the pigment pools? You can imagine running your fingers over it. And then there’s the way she renders each tool, with such careful attention to the way light hits its surface, emphasizing volume. The axe has a sort of shadowy glow. It makes me think of some of Philip Guston's later works with his deliberately clunky and material style that brings the image forward, but of course Stearns came first! Ultimately, this piece reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, where artists build upon and respond to each other’s ideas across time.