Souvenir Pitcher c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Ralph Atkinson’s "Souvenir Pitcher," created around 1936. It's a lovely watercolor and pencil drawing. The pitcher itself looks quite elegant. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: The drawing is quite skilled, but my interest lies in the "Souvenir Pitcher" itself. What kind of labour went into crafting such a decorative object during the depression? The very title begs us to consider its materiality and context: what type of event would someone want to commemorate with a pitcher? How does mass production meet bespoke memory in this piece? Editor: That’s an interesting point. I hadn't really considered the manufacturing. Does the medium, watercolor, also play a role here? Curator: Precisely! Watercolour is traditionally linked to studies, personal artworks. Here the medium is attempting to portray glass – usually blown. Glass and painting also share pigment technologies. Think of painted glass – the drawings try to flatten an entire factory of skills to craft into the appearance of something for personal collection and home craft display. Do you find any conflict in these things? Editor: Now that you mention it, I see the contrast between the luxury item being depicted and the humble, almost draft-like quality of the drawing itself. The pitcher is a display of status, while watercolor on paper has domestic roots. I never looked at it that way before. Curator: The tension is what's key here, and the context—a souvenir, attempting to elevate both experience and the manufactured materials surrounding them. How have luxury commodities attempted this effect throughout modernism and contemporary art? Editor: Thank you. This makes me reconsider Atkinson’s intention and the cultural statement behind the object’s depiction. I'll certainly keep that in mind moving forward!