Wardrobe, John Marshall's c. 1937

Editor: We're looking at "Wardrobe, John Marshall's" by Edna C. Rex, made around 1937. It's rendered in drawing and oil paint on paper. The detail is remarkable! It looks like it’s a record of craftsmanship, a historical document of a functional object. What strikes you about it? Curator: It's fascinating how everyday objects become significant historical markers. Consider the date, circa 1937. This wardrobe represents not only personal storage but also broader social and economic contexts of the time. It seems part of an effort of documentation; how does its academic realism affect its public role, would you say? Editor: That's interesting. It feels like a direct transcription, meant to objectively document something. The inclusion of the sketched handle design reinforces that documentary feel. Curator: Precisely! The 'handle' sketch underscores the focus on design and craftsmanship. How might such documentation affect perceptions of labour and skill during this era? Were such efforts meant to celebrate or, perhaps, control specific traditions of craft? Editor: That's a compelling question. Maybe both? Preserving skills, but also standardizing them. I didn’t even consider that tension. Curator: Thinking about it within the framework of decorative arts collections helps us appreciate the public function this seemingly simple piece held and still holds: conveying culture, taste, class, and perhaps aspirations of both the maker and the owner. Editor: I'm struck by how an illustration of an everyday object can be read in terms of the politics of imagery. It definitely broadened my understanding. Curator: Mine too! Thinking about whose wardrobe this was, and the socio-political value of this document allows for insights we might not have initially considered.