Grandfather Clock c. 1935

Editor: Here we have Giacinto Capelli’s "Grandfather Clock," created around 1935, seemingly a watercolor piece. I’m immediately drawn to the stillness of it, the careful detail suggesting a value placed on craftsmanship. What strikes you when you examine this work? Curator: Well, focusing on materiality, this watercolor portrays a manufactured object – a clock. It invites us to consider the cultural value placed on time and its measurement in the 1930s. Watercolour as a medium allows for subtle gradations, mimicking the polished surfaces of the wood itself. Consider the labor involved: the clockmaker’s skilled work and Capelli’s rendering, both forms of meticulous craft. Editor: So you’re saying the choice of watercolor connects the hand-crafted clock with the act of creating the artwork itself, emphasizing process? Curator: Exactly. How does Capelli’s artistic process – the selection and application of his medium – relate to our understanding of this clock, of the cultural construction of ‘time,’ and the status of handcrafted objects during a period of increasing industrialization? Also, consider the social context; who owned such a clock? Was it a symbol of status or simply a functional object in a middle-class home? Editor: That gives me a completely new perspective. I was only seeing it as a quaint object, but thinking about the labor and materials changes everything. Curator: It also brings attention to consumption – both of material objects and time itself, urging us to reflect on our relationship with both. What implications could it have in modern day society? Editor: Now I’m thinking about how we consume art, too, through reproductions and digital images, divorced from the original material experience. Food for thought!