Jar c. 1940

John Tarantino made this painting of a Jar, and it looks like he used watercolor or gouache on paper. The blues and browns are so muted, kind of earthy. You know, when I look at this jar, I think about how the simple act of painting can be a real inquiry. Tarantino is exploring the form, the texture, the way light hits the curves. I can imagine him stepping back, squinting, adjusting his brushstrokes, trying to capture that perfect shade of brown. The inscription on the jar is a cool detail, makes me wonder about its history. It’s like he's in conversation with the object, with the history of painting, with all the artists who've tried to capture the world around them. Painting's not just about representing something, it's about thinking through it, feeling through it. It's about embracing the messiness and the uncertainty. Like, what does it mean to paint a jar, and how does that connect to the bigger questions about art and life?