Sugar Pail with Cover 1939

Curator: Oh, my, it’s almost hauntingly beautiful, isn’t it? It’s so subdued, like a memory fading. Editor: Well said. Here we have "Sugar Pail with Cover," a watercolor and colored pencil drawing by Erwin Stenzel, created in 1939. At first glance, it presents as a rather unassuming still life of a humble, everyday object. Curator: Everyday is precisely the magic of it! The worn paint, the visible age—it tells a story without saying a word. I find myself wondering about the hands that held it, the kitchens it sat in, all the sweet moments it witnessed. Editor: Precisely! The pail speaks to utility. The marks on the cover remind me of layers and the means of production of everyday aesthetics, even the use of paint—likely a lead paint, typical for that period—suggests a narrative of labor and available materials. The imperfections aren't flaws; they're records of interaction and use. Curator: Yes! Like wrinkles on an old friend’s face. It transforms a mundane item into something deeply human. Did you also notice how meticulously he captured the textures? It's almost photographic in its realism. I think of the Pre-Raphaelites… the obsessive details! Editor: Absolutely. Stenzel pays incredibly close attention to replicating visual detail. You know, a "sugar pail" wasn't just about sugar, though. It likely contained other precious commodities. This raises questions of what value means and how ordinary people made do during the late 30s with folk art traditions. Curator: So it's not *just* about sugar, it's about the sweetness we find even in difficult times? I like that even more. Editor: It invites us to contemplate labor, the materials used, and how they connect with economic realities. And of course the sugar. Curator: I suppose that's a useful reminder, even now. Something about seeing beauty in the ordinary, the well-used, it reframes the way you see everything. Editor: Yes, considering its context—it encourages us to be more thoughtful about what and how we consume!