Chair c. 1936

Curator: We’re looking at "Chair," a watercolor and drawing from around 1936 by Wellington Blewett. Editor: It has such a delicate feel! There’s something both homey and grand about it. I keep thinking about afternoons spent reading in a sunlit room. Curator: You know, I can see that. The object itself – a chair - feels domestic. But it’s interesting because the way it's rendered has an almost technical drawing quality with those measurements and lines. There is this wonderful play between something that evokes comfort, but is illustrated through this meticulous, detailed style. Editor: Yes, and those baroque touches—the flourishes at the top, the subtle curves—are visually very powerful. Those floral elements at the top – the fruits? – give me thoughts about classical themes of nature, growth, perhaps a suggestion about being enthroned, placed on high, being centered within a group... it has a life all its own. It's so curious. Curator: I agree. And the subdued color palette enhances this sense of something older. A familiar history with subtle echoes of luxury or status perhaps? Editor: Definitely a memory-object, like an old photograph of my great aunt's parlor. The craftsmanship, too, signifies a focus on design, but its symbolism hints at a richer tapestry, something both historical and intimate at the same time. There’s also this suggestion about its possible influence, or relationship to, design from previous ages and how we can interpret, or maybe reinterpret them. Curator: It almost speaks to how one can transform something ordinary like a simple chair into something evocative, doesn’t it? An artifact worthy of careful study. Editor: Absolutely. It is much more than a design. I can see worlds layered within the picture frame.