Earthenware Jug c. 1937

Editor: This is "Earthenware Jug," made around 1937, created with watercolor, ink, pencil, and charcoal on paper by L. Vladimar Fischer. I'm struck by how this humble object, a simple jug, is elevated through the delicate rendering. What stories do you think it holds? Curator: This seemingly simple jug offers a compelling lens through which we can examine early 20th-century American industry and artistic representation. Consider the context: Fischer is capturing an everyday object, likely mass-produced. But instead of celebrating industrial progress, he meticulously depicts a handmade aesthetic. It raises questions: Is this a commentary on the loss of craftsmanship due to industrialization? Or is it perhaps related to gendered labor of the time? What does it mean to see "D.S. Perrey & Co., West Troy" inscribed on the jug itself? Editor: West Troy— so, this is specifically located. Is the jug's place of origin significant? Curator: Absolutely. West Troy, New York, was a hub of industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, experiencing significant changes regarding class and labor. This artwork provides tangible insight into working-class history. The jug, therefore, becomes more than just a vessel. It is an emblem of a time and place marked by both innovation and profound social shifts. Can art change perception of an ordinary vessel into a signifier of political change? Editor: Definitely! Seeing the jug as part of the working class history shifts my entire perspective of it. Curator: It also makes you think how identity gets shaped by industry. Thinking about art and history together, makes even simple drawings seem more dynamic.