Cream Pitcher c. 1937

Curator: This watercolor and drawing, believed to be crafted around 1937, presents us with a cream pitcher by Frank Fumagalli. Editor: Wow, it's so intensely blue! I mean, almost aggressively blue. It gives me the shivers a bit, like staring into a dark ocean on a cloudy day. Curator: That feeling certainly speaks to the artwork’s relationship to decorative arts and realist traditions that existed at the time. This realism invites the viewer to consider themes such as the representation of everyday objects and domesticity. Editor: It makes me think about my grandmother's house, all the little glass objects catching the light. This pitcher, though... it seems more serious. Like a royal goblet that’s lost its sparkle. Curator: Considering gender roles, this depiction subtly speaks volumes about a woman’s sphere—domesticity in the home—but presented with unexpected darkness. Fumagalli also seems to be using the object to explore labor, as glassware in the 1930s would have been the product of specialized skill. Editor: True. The closer you look, you can see how delicate, and somehow fragile, it looks with that line drawing. A lot of work clearly went into that, as you said, but does it fill you with optimism and joy? I don’t know. I want a drink now, though. Something that will offset that intense blue. Curator: Perhaps a splash of cream, if we could only pour it. Thinking critically about its potential cultural meanings allows us to recognize and challenge stereotypes around who produced such an object, the potential for wealth acquisition by marginalized laborers, and gender roles surrounding its use. Editor: Yeah. Despite all that… it's just really cool-looking. I like that it can hold that much meaning but still make me thirsty! Curator: It encapsulates the human drive to elevate ordinary objects to realms of beauty, yet challenges us to look beyond their everyday associations.