Bench 1935 - 1942

Dana Bartlett made this drawing of a bench with watercolor wash and graphite. You can almost smell the wood. I imagine Bartlett really studying this bench, trying to understand how all the parts fit together. The care and patience that went into rendering the different tones and textures of the wood. It's like he's x-raying the soul of the bench! I'm struck by the warm color palette he's chosen. There's a gentleness to the way he's handled the light, almost like a caress. What was he thinking as he made it? Was he thinking about craftsmanship? Maybe just the simple pleasure of sitting? It’s like Bartlett is trying to capture something essential about human connection and the objects that hold us together. His paintings are conversations across time, showing us how to see and appreciate the world around us.