Pitcher 1938

Francis Law Durand made this watercolour painting of a pitcher sometime between 1870 and 1920. Durand approaches the painting as a process, allowing the earth tones to blend and mottle, creating a sense of depth and texture. I’m really drawn to the way Durand uses the watercolour to mimic the materiality of the glazed ceramic pitcher. The surface isn’t smooth or uniform, but mottled with darker stains and variations in tone. You can almost feel the weight of the object, the cool, smooth glaze. Look closely and you can see a band of tiny dashes around the pitcher’s circumference which create the illusion of depth. This is almost trompe l'oeil. It reminds me of the still life paintings of Giorgio Morandi, where humble, everyday objects are transformed through subtle variations in tone and texture. But unlike Morandi, Durand gives the pitcher a heroic presence, celebrating the beauty and simplicity of a humble, handmade object. It's a reminder that art can be found in the everyday, if we only take the time to look.