Firescreen c. 1938

This is Vincent P. Rosel's "Firescreen," and it seems to have been made with watercolor and graphite on paper. I love the flat, matte surface and the way the colors gently sit on the paper, almost like a memory. There’s a central oval vignette with a couple, framed by this elaborate, slightly folksy garland of flowers and ribbons. It's all soft edges and diffused light. The color palette here is muted, with soft creams, browns, and greens, giving it a dreamy, almost antique quality. Look closely at the tiny white flowers scattered around the garland, each one so meticulously placed. They create a sense of rhythm and movement, almost like a dance. There’s something really intimate and tender about the whole thing, like a hand-stitched sampler, capturing a moment of quiet beauty and domesticity. It makes me think of those Pennsylvania folk artists like Edward Hicks. Art's an ongoing conversation, right? Rosel's Firescreen speaks to the past while inviting us to dream.