Bread Tray c. 1937

Elmer G. Anderson rendered this *Bread Tray* using watercolor and graphite, presenting us with a study in contrasts and expectations. The tray itself is depicted in shades of black, conveying a sense of depth and volume. The formal structure is immediately striking: the hard lines of the tray are juxtaposed with the soft, organic floral pattern, setting up a dynamic tension. This relationship suggests a tension between function and beauty, the mundane and the decorative. The flowers don't obscure the tray's utilitarian form, but add another layer to the object. The materiality of the object, rendered with the fluidity of watercolor, brings a tactile dimension to the work, inviting the viewer to consider the relationship between representation and reality. The tray's form and color are simple, but the interplay of these elements generates a field of meaning, where the everyday is elevated through artistic interpretation. This re-evaluation challenges our fixed ideas of aesthetic value.