Stew pot 1935 - 1942

This is Joseph Sudek’s ‘Stew Pot’, made with watercolour and graphite. I love the process of slow looking that this piece asks of us. The subdued palette and soft rendering of the pot create a quiet, intimate viewing experience. Sudek’s delicate use of watercolour gives the stew pot a warm, earthy texture. See how the light catches the rim, creating a sense of depth and volume? The subtle gradations of color give the pot a weight and presence, making it feel both familiar and strange. It's like he’s inviting us to contemplate the everyday. The inclusion of the technical drawing feels like a playful wink, as if Sudek is saying, ‘art is both magic and method’. Much like Giorgio Morandi’s still life paintings, the choice of subject and the muted tones, invite us to slow down, to savour the beauty of the ordinary and to find depth in simplicity.