Liquor Flask 1935 - 1942

Curator: My goodness, what a whimsical little vessel. The watery greens create a rather antique mood. It has that wistful feel. Editor: It does evoke a bygone era, doesn’t it? Here we have Charles Caseau’s "Liquor Flask," rendered between 1935 and 1942, using watercolor and drawing techniques. A curious pairing of discipline. Curator: A paradox really, discipline and inebriation. And what’s that bird doing on there? Looks almost… Greco-Roman, an eagle in low relief or is it the dove of peace offering olive branch of hangover recovery? Editor: I see your wheels turning towards both Greco-Roman tradition and biblical iconography. Well, in this composition, the artist presents us with a highly stylized bird clasped within what appears to be heraldic ornamentation. Caseau repurposes age-old iconography for a thoroughly modern, post-Prohibition, decorative object. The emblem might represent personal resilience during turbulent times. Curator: Interesting, and the transparency created with watercolor allows the light to play, almost mimicking real glass! Look at the interplay of shadow and light on the bird's wings—very clever visual storytelling, isn’t it? There's a certain optimism in it too, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. The delicate, airy quality defies the heavier subject of…liquor! Perhaps it's meant to suggest levity, escape. Or the fleeting, ephemeral nature of indulgence, the moment slipping by like water. A reminder to treasure it as one would hold on to water in the desert? Curator: Or just to appreciate the artistry of the vessel meant to hold it, quite like the careful draftsmanship employed in realizing this flask's portrait, no? Caseau compels you to really look at the image and contemplate our relationship with what’s inside. Editor: That it does. He gives you just enough form, shading, symbolism and transparency that hints rather boldly. And now I feel a powerful need for refreshment.