Powder Flask c. 1938

This is Annie B. Johnston's "Powder Flask", made with watercolor and graphite, maybe in the early 20th century. I can just imagine Annie, patiently rendering this object. I love the way she captured the light on the flask. The gradients of tone, from the tip to the base, give it real volume. And look at the details – the little squiggles and flourishes along the body, carefully picked out in graphite. It's like she's trying to preserve the memory of this object. Painters have been representing objects for centuries, each one reinterpreting what has come before, and each artist leaving their own individual stamp. The process invites us to consider how we see, how we remember, and how we relate to the world around us.