Jug c. 1940

Giacinto Capelli made this drawing of a jug, but when is unknown, and who knows with what? I’m imagining Capelli really studying that object, and maybe even being a bit charmed by its unassuming utility. The blue plant shapes on the ceramic are really calling out, aren’t they? Capelli probably wanted to capture the jug's slightly wonky form, its earthy color. Look how he carefully rendered each leaf, each tendril, with those short blue strokes. I can imagine him thinking about other painters who found beauty in the everyday— maybe Morandi with his bottles? Or even those Dutch still life painters, but with a humble jug instead of fancy silver. There's something deeply satisfying about finding poetry in a simple shape. We painters are all in conversation with each other. Every painting is just another way of seeing. And maybe that's enough.