Redware Pitcher c. 1939 - 1940

Betty Jacob painted this Redware Pitcher on an unknown date, using watercolor and graphite on paper. Imagine her, sitting, looking, really *looking* at this object. What a funny word, pitcher! The subtle gradations of brown, how the light catches some spots and leaves others in shadow. Jacob is trying to capture the thingness of this thing. I wonder, what does it feel like to dedicate yourself to the close observation of an everyday object? What kind of patience does that involve? The paint is thin, almost translucent, allowing the paper to breathe. She’s not trying to trick us, but to show us something that she sees. The muted color palette, with its browns and creams, gives the piece a humble quality. I can imagine how Jacob's quiet investigation of this pitcher speaks to a broader artistic conversation about seeing and depicting the world around us. Painting, like this, becomes a form of expression. We can feel the artist's hand in the gentle, loving way this pitcher is rendered.