Mixing Table 1940

Ferdinand Cartier made this 'Mixing Table' using what looks like pencil and watercolor – a traditional approach that’s perfect for capturing the precise details of this piece. What strikes me is the delicate rendering of the wood grain. The way he uses these thin, controlled washes. You can see the hand of the artist so clearly, it’s like a love letter to the craft of furniture making. The colors, mostly warm browns and creams, give it a comforting, almost nostalgic feel. The table's surface looks smooth, but Cartier adds this tiny detail of a darker edge. It creates depth and dimension. Your eye moves across the surface, taking in every little change in tone. This piece reminds me a little of Agnes Martin's drawings, in its quiet intensity and obsessive mark-making. Like Martin, Cartier finds a kind of freedom in the limitations he sets for himself, turning a functional object into something almost meditative. It makes you think about how art can transform the everyday.