Pitcher c. 1936

John Dana’s watercolour, Pitcher, takes on the challenge of representing something clear, almost invisible. I find myself drawn to the subtle gradations of tone, the way he coaxes form from a whisper of pigment. The handle, with its delicate swirls and curves, looks almost liquid. You can see the push and pull of the brushstrokes, the artist’s hand negotiating the light. Dana seems to be playing with the very idea of representation here, creating an image that is both present and absent, solid and ethereal. The slightly naive quality of the drawing makes me think of Giorgio Morandi, another artist who found endless fascination in the humble still life. But where Morandi evokes a sense of stillness and contemplation, Dana’s pitcher feels lighter, more ephemeral. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about capturing reality, but about creating a new one.