Mug c. 1940

Van Silvay made this intriguing watercolor painting of a mug, maybe from life, and it is so beautiful, so subtle! Just look at these delicate hues, how he renders the mug's surface as it subtly catches the light. You can almost feel him contemplating the object, trying to understand how light defines form. It’s as if the mug is not just an object, but a silent companion, inspiring observation and reflection. Painters have always engaged with the everyday, taking ordinary subjects and transforming them into something extraordinary. Like Morandi, Silvay finds a world of wonder in the mundane, reminding us of the quiet beauty that surrounds us. What is more ordinary than a mug? The painter isolates it, contemplates it and now we look, as if for the first time!