Leather Water Bucket c. 1938

Alexander Anderson made this watercolor drawing of a leather water bucket sometime in the 20th century. I like how the humble bucket fills the frame, rendered with such care! Look closely, and you'll see it's made up of thousands of tiny marks, built up slowly to create the form. You can see the artist's process unfolding on the paper. Notice the way Anderson describes the grainy texture of the leather. It's so palpable you can almost smell it! The color is mostly muted greys and browns, but there’s a beautiful range of tones. See how Anderson uses shadow and highlight to give the bucket its three-dimensionality? It reminds me of the still lifes of Giorgio Morandi. Both artists share an interest in elevating everyday objects through careful observation and a focus on formal qualities. The result is a quiet, meditative image that invites us to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the ordinary. It leaves plenty of room for interpretation.