Stone Pitcher c. 1938

Isabelle De Strange made this watercolor rendering of a Stone Pitcher, and what strikes me is the muted palette of creams and blues. Imagine her, back in the day, carefully observing every detail of the pitcher. I’m thinking about that cool blue she uses to define the floral patterns, each petal drawn with such delicate precision. There’s a real push and pull between the flat surface of the paper and the illusion of three-dimensionality she creates. The glaze of the pitcher is so meticulously rendered, the way she captures the light suggests she really saw something special in this everyday object. It reminds me of some of Morandi's still lifes—simple forms elevated through attention and care. There’s a quiet, meditative quality here, like she’s not just painting a pitcher, but also capturing a moment in time, a certain way of seeing. That’s what painting’s all about, right? Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.