Grotesque Jug c. 1938

George Loughridge made this "Grotesque Jug" with watercolor and graphite, and look at that palette - mostly earth tones, ochres, and browns, built up layer by layer. You can see the artmaking process itself, how it emerges, each stroke leading to the next. Up close, you can see the jug's surface isn’t just one flat color; there are variations and shadows, almost like Loughridge is sculpting with the paint. See that line coming down from the eye on the left, what is that? A scar? A tear? There's a real physicality to the medium here; the graphite gives a kind of rough texture that you can almost feel. It’s not trying to hide its construction, which feels honest. It reminds me a little of Redon, in the way that he’s willing to embrace darkness and ambiguity, but there’s also something unique here, something about the way the face is both grotesque and strangely compelling. It is a conversation, an exchange across time, inviting us to see the world in unexpected ways.