Hitching Post 1935 - 1942

David P. Willoughby made this watercolor painting, 'Hitching Post,' sometime in the 20th century. It is full of intriguing details, particularly in how it captures a sense of mass and form. I can almost feel Willoughby at work, trying to figure out the puzzle of how to build this figure, piece by piece. The jacket is so tactile, isn’t it? It's like he is investigating its volume. The buttons, the folds, the shine – he seems fascinated by the way light plays on its surface. And those ochre jodhpurs, so smooth and rounded. I imagine Willoughby, brush in hand, perhaps squinting at the original object as he tries to translate it into paint. There is something so dedicated, earnest even, about the way he renders each element. I imagine other artists like Fairfield Porter looking at this piece, nodding in appreciation for Willoughby's attention. It is a quiet exchange between artists across time.