Shaker Desk Chair 1935 - 1942

This Shaker Desk Chair was drawn anonymously with graphite and colored pencil. Look at the way the artist renders the chair. It’s all about process. The linear perspective that creates the form of the chair takes time. It's also a set of decisions: each stroke layering up to create the light and shadow that gives form to the object. I keep thinking about the little finials atop the back posts. They’re rendered with such loving care, but there's also something comical about them, like little hats. Those small details—the woven seat, the rungs that echo the curves of the back— speak to the Shakers' dedication to simplicity. The quiet palette of earth tones creates a subtle harmony, but it also lends the drawing a sense of warmth. It reminds me of Agnes Martin’s grids and her soft, understated compositions. Just as Martin's work emphasizes the beauty of repetition and subtle variation, this drawing shows how paying attention to the small, everyday things can be deeply satisfying. Ultimately, art is about opening up possibilities of seeing, not closing them down with explanations.