Pitcher c. 1937

Editor: This is William L. Antrim’s "Pitcher," a watercolor and drawing created around 1937. The light blues against the neutral background give it a delicate, almost dreamlike quality. What symbols or imagery stand out to you in this piece? Curator: Well, I see a pitcher adorned with what appears to be blossoming vines, possibly grapevines, rendered in a delicate blue. Vessels are deeply symbolic. They often represent the body, a container for life, and sustenance. The vines, especially grapevines, suggest themes of fertility, abundance, and even spiritual nourishment in some contexts. Editor: So the choice of a pitcher and grapevines wasn't just aesthetic? Curator: Precisely. Ask yourself: What did a pitcher represent to people in the 1930s? It would have been an essential household object, evoking domestic life and the preparation of meals, the sustaining of the family. And why this colour, blue? It signifies a spiritual understanding. Editor: Interesting! I hadn't considered the home life aspect. And the abundance, like the grapes giving sustenance during times of scarcity such as the great depression. Curator: Yes. It reflects cultural memory of struggle but a celebration of sustenance. What's curious to me, do the blue colours signify this? Editor: Yes, it could suggest reliability for our current lives. This connects so much more cultural baggage to this image! Curator: Exactly! Now, do we understand a new meaning in that water pitcher?