Pa. German Dower Chest c. 1936

Lorenz Rothkranz made this Pennsylvania German Dower Chest watercolor to document the real item, and wow, just look at the detail and care. I am sure that the original piece this came from would have been a sight to behold! Imagine Rothkranz's focus, the way he saw each line and curve of the wooden chest. I wonder if he was thinking about the history held within that chest, the love and labour it represented? The way those colors dance together – the greens and reds and yellows singing. It makes me wonder about the original artist who painted the dower chest. I'm especially drawn to the star on the side, all those points, so carefully rendered. It's like Rothkranz is in conversation with that original painter, each one honoring the history of the object, the love and care that went into it. We as painters, we're always talking to each other, across time and space, you know? It's a beautiful thing.