Ale Schooner 1935 - 1942

Editor: Here we have Alice Cosgrove's "Ale Schooner," a pencil drawing on paper created sometime between 1935 and 1942. It's surprisingly captivating for what seems like a simple glass. What do you make of it? Curator: It's fascinating how everyday objects, especially those related to consumption like this glass, gain prominence in art during times of economic hardship. Think of the Depression era; art shifted to the 'everyday' precisely because of material constraints and new social philosophies. Cosgrove’s choice of subject could subtly be read as reflecting the social realities and shifts in focus. Why this object? What did the “Ale Schooner” signify? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't considered the socio-economic context at all. So, its very ordinariness is what makes it significant? Curator: Exactly. Also, consider the almost scientific rendering – precise lines, attention to light and shadow. This meticulous documentation aligns with a broader artistic trend of the period focusing on realism, almost hyper-realism. It could be seen as an effort to bring dignity and importance to common things. Editor: So, the drawing elevates something mundane to a level of…historical documentation? Curator: Precisely! Think about how such an image might function within a museum context. Does its presence valorize drinking culture or is it an anthropological exercise capturing elements of past ways of life? How would exhibiting a group of such drawings affect or even educate public sentiment towards these items of common, daily use? Editor: I never would have considered the social context behind this, the politics of imagery. Curator: That’s the historian’s eye—the past influencing our perception of the object and in turn shaping cultural and, sometimes, even political ideology. Editor: Thanks, I've definitely learned a lot from your approach today. Curator: Likewise, you bring a valuable, fresh perspective to it all.