Jug c. 1937

Charlotte Sperber made this ‘Jug’ with watercolour, gouache, and graphite on paper. The brushwork here is direct, almost naive. It’s like she is trying to find the object in the painting, letting the jug emerge through the process of observation and mark-making. Look at the way the blue horse has been sketched over and over – the process is right there in the finished image. The jug itself has a wonderfully uneven surface, brought about by the layering of the paint. Sperber has balanced the solidity of the jug with the more delicate rendering of the horse. That bold stroke of blue that makes up the horse’s mane, really gives the image a dynamic energy. It’s like the horse is emerging out of the jug itself. Thinking of other artists, I’m reminded of Alfred Wallis, another artist who found beauty in the everyday. Like Wallis, Sperber invites us to see the world with fresh eyes. There's a real freedom in this piece, it suggests that art doesn't always have to be polished, it can be messy, imperfect, and all the more beautiful for it.