Chair c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this painting of a chair with watercolour on paper, and it’s the kind of blue that just makes you feel something, you know? I imagine Claflin, squinting at this chair, trying to capture its essence with these deliberate, watery strokes. There's a focus on the object, and the light catching the edges. It's like she's not just painting a chair, she's painting the idea of a chair. And that blue! It's a total mood. It’s not quite natural, which makes you look. A bit like some of Fairfield Porter's interiors, but with a folk art vibe. It feels studied, and like she had a real feel for the physicality of painting. I think artists are in an ongoing conversation, riffing off each other across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. I hope she felt that in her lifetime.