Vase c. 1937

Curator: This watercolor and drawing, titled "Vase", was completed around 1937 by Katharine Merrill. Editor: It's so delicate. There’s almost a sense of fragility emanating from the muted tones and soft lines used to render the vase. Curator: Merrill was known for decorative arts; pieces intended not only for aesthetic appreciation but also imbued with the culture of its day. How does this object speak to its era for you? Editor: The almost monochromatic scheme highlights its form and texture. The slight blue touches almost feel disruptive in contrast with all of the softness. It directs the gaze in unexpected ways, focusing more attention on form than color. The almost neoclassical embellishments along the sides… are they grapes, perhaps? Curator: Likely, given the time period. In that era, women had to decide how they balanced professional pursuits with society's expectations of domestic roles. Pottery and flower arrangement were some avenues to navigate identity, and vases in this sense can be representative of containing social constructs and expectations of beauty. Editor: Interesting how a piece like this seems traditional in design and, at the same time, somewhat subversive through these subtle shifts in tonal arrangements. Curator: This artwork provides a nuanced insight into how gender roles of the time informed material culture. The muted palette could reflect a deliberate decision to present it as demure and restrained. The artist possibly negotiates and resists norms associated with art, while the subject matter signifies notions of idealised domesticity. Editor: Indeed, seeing the vase now less as a mere object and more as a complex negotiation of social identities gives the artwork an additional intriguing dimension. The closer we examine an artifact, the richer the discussions become. Curator: Absolutely, and understanding art as embedded in its social moment really transforms how we interpret everything around us, and question things as we consider new identities as we evolve through time.