Butter Churn c. 1940

Giacinto Capelli made this watercolour on paper, "Butter Churn". I love the quiet stillness of this painting. It's a simple, everyday object, but Capelli has given it a kind of monumental presence. I can imagine him really looking, observing the subtle gradations of tone, the way the light falls across the surface. I wonder what Capelli was thinking about when he made this painting. Maybe he was interested in the history of this object, the way it connects us to a simpler, more rural past. Or maybe he was just drawn to the beauty of its form, the way the curves and lines create a sense of balance and harmony. The blue floral details look fresh against the aged grey stoneware of the churn. It reminds me of Morandi and his bottles, or maybe even some of those Shaker paintings of furniture. All painters riffing off of each other, you know? It’s this ongoing conversation. Each artwork adds to our understanding of what painting can be. It's never just one thing.