The Vulgarians By Osborn

Robert Chesley Osborn was an American cartoonist, satirist, illustrator and author. In a lighter vein, he also wrote a trilogy of books about catching trout, shooting quail and shooting ducks. His illustrations appeared in a score of socially conscious books including Snobs, by Russell Lynes; The Exurbanites, by A.C. Spectorsky; Trial by Television, by Michael Straight; C. Northcote Parkinson's Parkinson's Law; and The Insolent Chariots, by John Keats. His drawings of Charles Chaplin formed the basis of an art exhibition in 1987. Reviewing that show in the New York Times, John Russell said, "Few people have a nimbler, wittier or more versatile way with pen and pencil than Robert Osborn." His work is in the collections of the Beinecke Library at Yale, the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution. Through the years, he continued to draw for the U.S. Navy, publishing his cartoons in Naval Aviation News, replacing the character of Dilbert with a wise old navy pilot named Grampaw Pettibone.

Revitalize your interiors — introduce drawings and watercolor paintings to your home to evoke emotions, stir conversation and show off your personality and elevated taste.

Drawing is often considered one of the world’s oldest art forms, with historians pointing to cave art as evidence. In fact, a cave in South Africa, home to Stone Age–era artists, houses artwork that is believed to be around 73,000 years old. It has indeed been argued that cave walls were the canvases for early watercolorists as well as for landscape painters in general, who endeavor to depict and elevate natural scenery through their works of art.

The supplies and methods used by artists and illustrators to create drawings and paintings have evolved over the years, and so too have the intentions. Artists can use their drawing and painting talents to observe and capture a moment, to explore or communicate ideas and convey or evoke emotion. No matter if an artist is working in charcoal or in watercolor and has chosen to portray the marvels of the pure human form, to create realistic depictions of animals in their natural habitats or perhaps to forge a new path that references the long history of abstract visual art, adding a drawing or watercolor painting to your living room or dining room that speaks to you will in turn speak to your guests and conjure stimulating energy in your space.

When you introduce a new piece of art into a common area of your home — a figurative painting by Italian watercolorist Mino Maccari or a colorful still life, such as a detailed botanical work by Deborah Eddy — you’re bringing in textures that can add visual weight to your interior design. You’ll also be creating a much-needed focal point that can instantly guide an eye toward a designated space, particularly in a room that sees a lot of foot traffic.

When you’re shopping for new visual art, whether it’s for your apartment or weekend house, remember to choose something that resonates. It doesn’t always need to make you happy, but you should at least enjoy its energy. On 1stDibs, browse a wide-ranging collection of drawings and watercolor paintings and find out how to arrange wall art when you’re ready to hang your new works.