Pa. German Plate c. 1937

Albert Levone made this image of a Pennsylvania German Plate at some point in the 20th century, probably with watercolor or gouache. It’s so interesting how Levone looks at this plate. The plate itself seems to be trying to recall some lost folk memory of an earlier plate, and Levone is recalling both. The ochre and greens feel so perfectly old, but also fresh. What was Levone thinking as he made it? I imagine him carefully studying the object, taking it apart with his eyes, and then putting it back together in his own way. Look at the looping branches around the edges, like the memory of a wreath. The central flower feels both like a very careful botanical drawing, but also a general idea of a flower. This plate feels like it has something in common with other kinds of image making, like Cy Twombly or even Hilma af Klint. Artists are always inspiring one another, even across time and different kinds of image making.