Small Jug 1938

Philip Smith made this painting of a small jug using watercolour. He’s got a real eye for the material qualities of the jug, those earthy browns and yellows seem to bleed into one another. It's like he's feeling the clay, not just seeing it. You can almost feel the rough texture of the jug's surface, see how Smith uses thin washes of paint to build up the form. He’s captured the way the light hits the curves, adding little dabs of green and gold, like moss. Down at the base, where the jug meets the wooden surface, you can see where the paint has chipped away, revealing the paper beneath. It’s a lovely detail, full of imperfection. This piece reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, someone else who spent his life painting unassuming bottles and jugs. Like Morandi, Smith finds something profound in the everyday. It's about embracing the messiness and ambiguity of life.