Glassware Study for Macy's Advertisement 1928

Margaret Watkins made this "Glassware Study for Macy's Advertisement" using photography. It's a still life, and she’s clearly thinking about composition, tone, and light. The sepia tone is so beautiful, and if you look closely, the surfaces of the glassware and dishware are not perfectly smooth. There are these subtle, almost imperceptible textures that feel incredibly contemporary. My eye is drawn to the goblet in the foreground. The glass is catching the light. The reflections and refractions are so soft. It's a delicate balance between abstraction and representation. You could almost miss that it’s an ad. Watkins shares affinities with painters like Giorgio Morandi in her approach to still life as a kind of meditation on form and light. Like Morandi, she transformed everyday objects into extraordinary subjects. These artists remind us that art can be found in the most unexpected places, waiting to be discovered through the artist’s eye.