Toddy Glass 1935 - 1942

Minnetta Good made this watercolor painting of a "Toddy Glass" sometime in the first half of the twentieth century. The glass itself is almost an afterthought, a mere prop, or excuse to explore the magic of her chosen medium. There's a beautiful, subtle quality in the rendering of this glass. It is a kind of light-filled ghost. Pale greens and blues wash loosely over the surface, suggesting the way light might play and refract, and the vertical strokes create a sense of depth and volume. Good doesn't fuss over detail, but instead lets the watercolor do its thing, embracing its fluidity and transparency. This reminds me of Giorgio Morandi’s still lifes, where the focus is less on the objects themselves and more on the relationships between them and the light that envelops them. Like Morandi, Good is interested in the quiet poetry of everyday objects. Her painting invites us to slow down, observe, and appreciate the subtle beauty that surrounds us. It's a gentle reminder that art can be found in the simplest of things.