Side Chair 1936

Joseph Rothenberg rendered this 'Side Chair' in watercolor at an unknown date. It is a seemingly simple depiction of a commonplace object. But, think about the social life of furniture. In what kind of home might this chair be found? Is it a handcrafted piece suggesting a certain level of wealth and taste? Is it an antique passed down through generations, imbued with the stories of those who sat upon it? Or is it a reproduction, a nostalgic nod to a bygone era? Consider the context in which Rothenberg chose to represent this chair. Was he interested in the chair's design? Was he interested in documenting a particular style or period? To truly understand this artwork, we would need to research the history of furniture design, the social history of domestic spaces, and the role of art institutions in shaping our understanding of everyday objects. Art history is not just about aesthetics; it's about the stories that objects tell us about ourselves and the world we inhabit.