Pa. German Plate 1935 - 1942

This is a Pennsylvania German plate by Hedwig Emanuel, made sometime between 1855 and 1995. It has a naive, folk-art style, and I love how Emanuel embraces a process of image-making, almost like doodling, with its mix of botanical and decorative elements. The colours are muted—earthy reds, greens, and browns—giving the piece a kind of antique feel. The texture is smooth but intentionally imperfect, with visible brushstrokes and what looks like the occasional drip of paint. Notice how the artist has rendered the bird's tail feathers, each marked by tiny parallel lines. It’s almost like a woven pattern, lending a tactile quality to the otherwise flat surface. This attention to detail makes the bird come alive, embodying a sense of careful craftsmanship. Emanuel reminds me of Hilma af Klint, not necessarily stylistically, but in her sense of an art practice as something devotional, a labour of love, and an act of cultural preservation.