Mantel Clock c. 1937

Francis Law Durand created this watercolor drawing of a mantel clock at an unknown date. I can imagine Durand’s concentration as he rendered the clock’s decorative details with such care, and the time that it must have taken to create. I love how Durand uses watercolor to describe the details of this domestic object. The drawing is rendered with such fine lines. The bottom section depicts an idealized pastoral scene, like a landscape painting. There is an innocence to it that I find sweet. Durand’s work reminds me of other artists who have explored the intersection of art and design. Like how the artist Claes Oldenburg blurred the boundaries between sculpture and everyday objects, and how the Pattern and Decoration movement aimed to elevate craft traditions to the realm of fine art. In the end, it's all part of one big, beautiful conversation, isn't it?