Ruby Pitcher c. 1936

Ralph Atkinson's "Ruby Pitcher" is made from watercolour and graphite on paper. What strikes me is how he’s captured the light playing on the glass. The pitcher has a real weightiness, doesn’t it? It’s all in the details, the way the light catches on the handle and how it refracts through the body of the pitcher. Look at the contrast between the solid, almost opaque ruby red, and those delicate, etched floral designs. There’s a dance between the solid and the ethereal. Then you notice that other pitcher behind it in graphite, just a drawing, like a ghost or an echo. I wonder what that signifies? This reminds me of Giorgio Morandi with his still life paintings of bottles and jars, trying to find a kind of quiet poetry in everyday objects. Ultimately, the beauty of this piece lies in its simplicity and the way it invites us to slow down and really see.