Money Bank c. 1938

Nicholas Amantea painted this "Money Bank" with watercolour, maybe in the mid-20th century. The colours are muted, mostly in a range of brown and grey, a kind of humble palette. It's just a simple line drawing, but then it becomes so much more! Look at the texture: it's so interesting because of how flat the paint is, which mimics the real texture of pottery. The flowers, they're almost like funny faces, not perfect, just a little bit off, which gives the painting a real charm. Think about Giorgio Morandi, his still-life paintings; there's a similar quietness here. Art isn't about getting things exactly right. It's more about seeing and feeling.