Jug c. 1940

Giacinto Capelli made this drawing of a jug sometime between 1855 and 1995, using what looks like watercolor. The blue floral design against the brown of the jug is striking, almost like a tattoo on pottery. The texture in the brown suggests that this jug may have been around for a while! I’m drawn to the dark blue marks, confident strokes that suggest a fern unfurling. It’s not just a decoration; it's like the jug itself is growing. Capelli captures the jug's solidity while hinting at fragility in the floral design. The way he's rendered the glaze, you can almost feel the smoothness of the ceramic under your fingertips. It’s as if Morandi decided to take up pottery illustration! There's a quiet beauty in how Capelli transforms an everyday object into something extraordinary. It makes you wonder about the stories this jug could tell.