Pa. German Jug 1936

Editor: So here we have "Pa. German Jug," a watercolor painting from 1936 by Eugene Shellady. It feels almost dreamlike; there’s a softness to the light, and the colors are muted. What do you see when you look at this? Curator: Ah, this simple jug...It whispers stories, doesn’t it? Shellady hasn't just painted an object; he's captured a sense of place and time. I think about the Pennsylvania German community, their craft traditions, maybe this jug was a prized possession in a family, holding water drawn from a well under a hot summer sun... What do you think those leaves are, do you have a sense? Editor: I'm not sure...olive branches? Or laurel maybe? Curator: Yes, perhaps…see how he contrasts those soft washes of color in the body with the bolder lines and darker hues along the jug’s lip and base? The leaves dance; that rough lip grounds us. It is about both rootedness and something far more fluid, a moment passing. Do you find yourself drawn to particular areas of the painting? Editor: I think so. I like the simplicity. You're right about the contrasting colours and line work -- it really emphasizes certain parts of the jug, makes me look a bit closer. Curator: Exactly! A dialogue between observation and dream... between home and a feeling that can't be contained in one spot. And for me that makes it endlessly charming. Editor: It definitely gives new perspective about what a still life can be. I will keep this dialogue of dream and home in my mind when seeing similar work!