Water Jug c. 1938

Arthur Mathews made this lovely drawing of a water jug sometime in the past, using watercolor. You can tell it's not about some grand statement; it's just a quiet observation, a kind of meditation on the object. The colors are muted, almost faded, and the way he's layered the washes gives the jug a real sense of depth, like you could almost reach out and touch the ceramic. Look at how he's rendered the light catching on the faucet – it's so subtle, but it brings the whole thing to life. It’s this attention to detail that gets me, the way he's taken something so ordinary and turned it into something beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, that same focus on simple forms and everyday objects. But where Morandi is all about stillness, Mathews has this playful touch that makes you feel like the jug might just start dispensing water at any moment. It's not about perfection; it's about capturing the essence of the thing, flaws and all.