Jug c. 1938

Lee Brown’s ‘Jug’ is a lovely rendering of a humble object, achieved with what looks like watercolor on paper. The beauty of this piece lies in its simplicity, and in the way Brown uses the transparency of the medium to capture the play of light on the jug’s surface. There's a real sense of observation here. The way the color pools and settles into the texture of the paper gives the jug a wonderful sense of depth. You can almost feel the coolness of the ceramic. Look closely at the bottom of the jug, where the green deepens and becomes mottled – it’s as if Brown is inviting us to touch it, to feel its weight and solidity. It’s a quiet piece, but it speaks volumes about the beauty of everyday objects, and the magic that can happen when an artist takes the time to really see. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi, who made still life painting into a philosophical exercise.