Butter Mold 1940

This watercolor rendering of a butter mold with a swan design was created in 1940 by Marie Lutrell. The swan, centered so elegantly, is no mere decoration. From antiquity, this graceful bird has been laden with meaning. Consider the myth of Leda and the Swan, where the swan embodies transformation, seduction, and the divine. These classical allusions resurface through the Renaissance and beyond, echoing in ballet, literature, and art, evolving from pagan symbol to Christian symbol. The swan appears in various contexts, from ancient Greek pottery to Romantic poetry, carrying this potent emotional weight. The persistence of this swan motif engages our collective memory and evokes a deep, often subconscious response. This graceful swan returns to a rural, domestic setting, its symbolism muted by the humble butter mold. Indeed, like a phoenix, the swan rises and evolves, its symbolic power undiminished through the ages.