Toleware Tin Coffee Pot c. 1936

Max Soltmann made this painting of a Toleware Tin Coffee Pot; look at how he worked with color to create the effect of light on the surface. There's a real love for the material of the coffee pot here. You can almost feel the cool smoothness of the tin, the subtle curves, and the folksy, hand-painted decoration. The way Soltmann has used thin layers of pigment, gives the object a soft, diffused quality, like memory itself. I'm drawn to the way he renders the red fruit, they have a subtle luminosity, like glowing embers, while the gold accents dance across the surface, hinting at warmth. And notice the base and the lid are edged with a decorative band of repeated curves. This image reminds me of other painters like Marsden Hartley, who found beauty in everyday objects, elevating them through careful observation and personal expression. Art invites us to pause, and really see the beauty in the mundane.