Pitcher c. 1938

Richard Barnett painted this subtle, warm toned pitcher on paper, and right away, I get the feeling he was really *looking*. There’s something about the way the light falls on the curves of the jug, the almost waxy texture he coaxes from the pigment. I can imagine him squinting, head tilted, trying to capture that exact shade of ochre, that delicate gradient of shadow. It's a kind of quiet, devoted observation. There’s an etched leaf on the side of the pitcher, a simple motif, anchoring the composition. I wonder if Barnett was thinking about folk art when he made this. It reminds me of some of those anonymous portraits of objects that have been loved and used. Ultimately, it’s the artist's act of looking, feeling, and rendering that transforms the ordinary into something worthy of contemplation, which is what painting is all about.