Bell Jar c. 1939

Nicholas Zupa made this painting, Bell Jar, using watercolor and graphite on paper. The colors here are so soft, almost faded, with these bursts of vivid red, it feels like a memory trying to hold onto its brightness. The graphite under-drawing is so delicate, it reminds me of a barely-there sketch in a notebook, like the artist was feeling their way through the image. I keep looking at the way the light plays on the glass dome, how Zupa suggests the reflections without fully defining them. It’s like the whole scene is breathing. There's a curious push and pull between clarity and vagueness here, like looking through a dusty window. This painting feels connected to Morandi’s still lifes – that same quiet contemplation of everyday objects. It’s not about showing you something perfectly, but about inviting you into a space of seeing and feeling.