Brooch 1935 - 1942

This "Brooch", by John H. Tercuzzi, is a delicate watercolor showing three different jewelry designs. Look at the pale washes of color and the sureness of line; to me, that speaks to the artist's process of building up an image. The texture is all in the mind's eye, isn't it? Tercuzzi gives us the glint of gold, the sheen of the gemstones through the careful modulation of his brushstrokes. I am drawn to the central design – a peacock motif contained in an oval. See how the artist uses tiny strokes of color to create the bird's feathers? There's a real sense of joy in the details, a dedication to the craft. I am reminded of the precision of the 19th-century botanical illustrators, but with a dash of pure fantasy thrown in. Art is always a conversation, an echo of what came before, transformed by an individual voice. And in this piece, Tercuzzi speaks with a voice that is both precise and wonderfully imaginative.