Pa. German Covered Dish c. 1938

Here's a rendering of a "Pa. German Covered Dish" by Alvin Shiren. Look at those thin, washy lines, almost like watercolor, creating a vision of a covered dish; I can imagine Alvin delicately layering those browns and grays to build up the form. It's like he's coaxing the dish into existence, slowly, carefully. I wonder what Alvin was thinking as he painted this? Was he focused on the details, the little bumps and curves that give the dish its character? Or was he trying to capture something more, some sense of history or tradition that the dish embodied? The thin paint feels fragile, almost like a memory fading away, but it's also beautiful, in its own quiet way. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation with each other, building on what came before, seeing the world in new and unexpected ways. And that's what keeps art alive.