Bottle 1935 - 1942

Curator: There’s a simple beauty to this watercolor illustration, doesn’t it strike you as subdued? Editor: It does have a certain calmness. What are we looking at exactly? Curator: This is simply titled "Bottle," created by V.L. Vance sometime between 1935 and 1942, a rather turbulent time in history, especially concerning how artists perceived their role in society. Editor: I am intrigued by the bottle's form – so round and bottom-heavy. The narrow neck gives it an almost anthropomorphic presence, like a slightly hunched figure. And that greenish-blue hue… it reminds me of old apothecary bottles, holding forgotten remedies and potions. It conjures up a sense of history and hidden knowledge. Curator: That's interesting. Glassware from this period, even a simple bottle, spoke to the rise of industrial production. But while it hints at modernity, the very choice of watercolour—a delicate, almost antique medium—imbues the image with a sense of nostalgia for older times. Perhaps Vance sought a quiet escape from the era's overwhelming changes. Editor: I wonder if the artist consciously chose the colors for their symbolic weight? Green often represents growth, renewal, and harmony, yet it also carries associations with envy and sickness. The transparency of the glass suggests fragility but also clarity. There’s almost an alchemical sense of holding power and potential within this fragile vessel. Curator: Good points! It certainly shows the power of art in portraying seemingly everyday objects, charging them with meaning and history, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely, looking at art like this shows we can discover layers of symbolism within something so commonplace. Curator: Indeed. This Bottle offers an unexpected connection to both the anxieties and artistic endeavors that define the mid-20th century.