Vase c. 1936

Janet Riza painted this 'Vase' using watercolor and graphite. The vase, with its deep blue hue, evokes the symbolism of water. Water, in its myriad forms, has forever been a symbol of the subconscious, of dreams, and of life itself. The vessel, as a motif, is as old as civilization. Think of the amphorae of ancient Greece, holding wine and oil, embodiments of abundance and vitality. This vase also echoes the chalice in religious iconography, like the Holy Grail, a vessel of salvation, a container of transformation. Across cultures, the vase can represent the womb, fertility, and potential. The shape itself, swelling then tapering, has been echoed through the ages. Note how this form reappears in the shapes of figures from renaissance paintings, suggesting a kind of continuity of the vital life force across time.