Vase (Ruby Glass) c. 1936

Ralph Atkinson made this ‘Vase (Ruby Glass)’ probably sometime in the early 20th century, with watercolor and graphite. Look at the color! So deep and velvety, that red. I can imagine him layering the paint, building up that ruby color bit by bit, allowing the form of the vase to emerge through careful and deliberate brushstrokes. I wonder what Atkinson was thinking, what he was trying to capture, when he painted it. Was it the play of light on the glass, the way the colors shifted and changed? Or was it the sheer beauty of the vase, the way it seemed to hold the light within it? Notice how the decorative swirls and flowers are picked out in off-white and greens. Each gesture is so precise, as if he wanted to pay homage to both the vase and the tradition of the still life. It reminds me of the work of other artists who have been captivated by the beauty and complexity of everyday objects, painters like Giorgio Morandi. There is a sense of conversation, with each artist building on what came before, exploring new ways of seeing and representing the world. I see painting as a way of thinking, feeling, and being in the world.