Side Chair c. 1937

Louis Annino made this drawing of a side chair with pencil and watercolor. I can imagine Annino hunched over the paper, carefully rendering the details of the chair. I wonder if he was thinking about design, craft, or history while he worked. The palette is muted, almost melancholic, with its browns and beiges. The lines are precise and deliberate, but there’s still a softness to the washes of color. Look at the back of the chair – it's like a shield, isn't it? The delicate spindles remind me of classical motifs, like something you’d see in a drawing by David. And that seat, upholstered and studded, looks like it’s seen a few bottoms. The overall effect is one of quiet observation, a kind of gentle study. Artists are always looking at each other, borrowing, stealing, and transforming ideas across generations. Annino’s drawing feels like a part of that ongoing conversation. It’s a reminder that even the most everyday objects can be a source of beauty and inspiration, and that drawing itself is a way of seeing and understanding the world.