Domestic Symphony c. 1919 - 1929

Margaret Watkins made this photograph, Domestic Symphony, and it's kind of hard to pin down when, or what the exact process was, but it’s a beautiful example of how everyday objects can become something extraordinary. Look at the way the light falls across the sink. The dark, velvety shadow is such a contrast to the smooth, curved porcelain. And then there are the eggs, sitting there like little sculptures! There's a towel too, hanging down, and it all comes together to create this really interesting composition. The whole picture is mostly grey, but you can still see the different textures and shapes so clearly. The objects feel very carefully placed, and yet it also feels kind of accidental, like we’re looking at a fleeting moment. It reminds me a bit of some of the still life paintings by Giorgio Morandi, who also found beauty in the simplest of things. Art isn’t always about grand gestures, sometimes it's about paying attention to the quiet moments that surround us.