Plate Treen 1938

Wellington Blewett made this delicate watercolour, Plate Treen, some time between 1870 and 1910. I like the way the neutral palette makes it look like an ancient artefact—Blewett is really making us look closely. It’s like the still life paintings of Giorgio Morandi, where modest, everyday objects are carefully arranged and observed. I can imagine Blewett, patiently layering thin washes of paint to capture the subtle variations in tone, creating a sense of depth and form. The careful rendering of light and shadow gives the plate a quiet presence, almost like a portrait. There's a sensitivity in the way the artist captures the texture and shape of the object. I like to think about the many artists throughout time who have used everyday objects as a starting point for a larger conversation about beauty, value, and the act of seeing itself.