Pa. German Chalkware Sheep c. 1937

Dorothy Harris created this watercolor painting to document Pa. German Chalkware Sheep. The composition immediately strikes us with its symmetrical arrangement of two sheep figures, each resting on a distinct platform, set against the plain background of the paper. This choice emphasizes the sheep as objects of study, drawing our attention to their form and texture. The subdued palette, with its muted blues and browns, enhances the tactile quality of the sheep’s textured bodies, rendered with subtle gradations of tone to suggest volume and dimension. Each figure is meticulously detailed, allowing us to appreciate how Harris captured the essence of folk art through careful observation and skillful rendering. The rough, irregular shapes of the bases and sheep challenge fixed ideas about perfection. This watercolor is a semiotic exercise: it’s not just about seeing but understanding what the painting communicates about the original objects' place in culture, memory, and artistic expression.