Chest c. 1940

This 'Chest' was painted anonymously using watercolor and graphite. I wonder what the painter was thinking as they built up the image of the chest, stroke by stroke, slowly bringing it into being. I’m really drawn to the different tones and the layering. The artist, they’re kind of shy, or maybe humble. They let the brown sort of bleed at the edges, a bit uncontrolled, but also deliberate. You know, they let the paint have its way a little. I imagine them carefully mixing the watercolor to get just the right shade for each section, allowing the colors to blend and create depth. There's this lovely texture, like worn wood, that is kind of meditative. It feels like the quiet, focused conversation that painting can be, echoing painters like Giorgio Morandi. Painting is like an ongoing dialogue, artists responding to each other across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and making.