Walnut Desk and Bookcase c. 1941

Harry King made this watercolor of a Walnut Desk and Bookcase in 1940. The piece is made up of a series of gentle washes to describe the different surfaces of the furniture, which gives it an almost ethereal quality. The grain of the wood is evoked in delicate, feathery strokes, and the glass of the bookcase shimmers as if it might reflect light. The eye is drawn to the structure of the legs, each one delineated with careful attention to the play of light and shadow across its surface. You can see the artist's hand in the subtle variations in tone, as if they were caressing the form into existence. There is a similar feeling of care and attention in the work of Agnes Martin, who also used watercolor to create works that are both delicate and strong. Like Martin, King seems to understand that artmaking is a process of discovery, a way of finding new ways of seeing and experiencing the world.