Rockingham Pitcher c. 1939

Eleanor Gausser made this drawing of a Rockingham Pitcher, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. It's a meticulous rendering, where brown watercolor washes build up the volume and texture of the vessel. I find myself drawn to the anchor motif, hanging from a delicate chain. It's rendered with such care, yet it feels almost incidental against the swirling, mottled surface of the pitcher itself. Look closely, and you can see the artist's hand in the subtle variations of tone, the way the light catches on the curved surface, the play of light and shadow that brings this everyday object to life. I'm reminded of Morandi, who made still life paintings of bottles and jugs – he finds something profound in the humblest of subjects. Gausser's pitcher, like Morandi's bottles, becomes a vehicle for exploring the beauty of form, the poetry of light, and the quiet dignity of the everyday. Ultimately, art invites us to look closer, to find meaning in the unexpected, and to embrace the ambiguity that lies at the heart of all creative expression.