Decorative Panel Under Window c. 1938

Curator: This watercolor on paper, titled "Decorative Panel Under Window," was created around 1938 by Albert Pratt. The artwork showcases a meticulously rendered decorative panel, seemingly part of an interior architectural feature. Editor: It gives off this incredibly serene, almost domestic feeling. I immediately zone in on the detailed wood grain effect, along with those crisp ornamental floral inlays. It looks so real and tactile! Curator: Indeed. Consider how Pratt engages with notions of identity and class through this presentation. Decorative arts often serve to project an image, shaping the narrative of domesticity, reflecting aspirations, and social standing during that period. What is visible and what is chosen to be hidden become quite revealing. Editor: And the means of production here must also be emphasized. This drawing is not just an aesthetic exercise; it points to the social context in which decoration and craftsmanship were valued. The handmade detail celebrates those skills. Did Pratt have access to the space? Curator: Yes, that’s insightful. Also think about how Pratt highlights the roles within domestic spaces and potentially gestures to the erasure or visibility of working class artisans within them, whose labor enabled this aesthetic ideal, and that of white middle class identity. Editor: Absolutely. The craftsmanship of both the depicted panel and the drawing itself underscore how our consumption is entangled with complex power dynamics. The materiality evokes these questions, it reminds me that design is always involved in economic structures. Curator: Agreed. By drawing our attention to the decorative, the artist encourages us to explore the historical narratives and power structures it encodes, giving voice to some of those untold narratives through this single panel. Editor: It’s really shifted my perspective; I see how such a simple subject allows us to unpick our ideas on craft and labor!