Pa. German Pitcher c. 1939

Here, Carl Strehlau used watercolor to depict a Pa. German Pitcher. I can imagine him carefully layering washes of muted browns and reds to capture the earthy tones and subtle textures of the pottery. I wonder what it was like for Carl, bringing this object to life on paper. Was he thinking about form, function, history? You can almost feel the weight and coolness of the clay in your hands. Notice how the vertical lines create an upward thrust, mimicking the process of throwing clay on a wheel. These lines are almost like a visual echo of the potter’s hands, shaping and coaxing the form into being. It is like artists are in an ongoing conversation with each other. Carl inspires us to look closer, to think about how paintings and pots create different ways of seeing and experiencing the world.