Powder Flask c. 1938

Annie B. Johnston made this drawing of a powder flask, we don't know exactly when. It's rendered with delicate washes of color, giving it a ghostly, almost ethereal quality. You can really see how she built up the form through layering, the way one might actually construct a three-dimensional object. Look at the texture around the base of the flask; Johnston uses these tiny, precise lines to mimic the rough surface. It's not about illusion, but about translation. She's taking a thing and turning it into an idea of a thing. The color palette is muted, almost monochromatic, but there's a warmth that comes through, especially in the detailing. Johnston reminds me of Joseph Cornell, in the way she elevates everyday objects through careful, loving attention. In a world obsessed with the new, there’s something profound about slowing down and really looking at the old. Like, what can we learn from this vessel, from this way of seeing? It's a quiet, contemplative act, and in that quiet, there's a whole universe of possibilities.