Mortar and Pestle c. 1938

Ralph Morton made this watercolor of a mortar and pestle. It's such a simple subject, right? A little cup for grinding and a stick to do the work. Looking at this, I wonder what Ralph was thinking. Was he interested in how the light fell on these objects, creating soft shadows and highlighting their shapes? I can imagine him carefully mixing his paints to get just the right shades of brown and grey. The texture is fascinating. The way he suggests the rough surface of the mortar and pestle with tiny strokes and subtle variations in color. You can almost feel the weight and solidity of these everyday tools. This piece reminds us that painting is an ongoing conversation across time. Artists inspire one another, and our own creativity can be sparked by looking closely and imagining the stories behind the art.