Egg Cup c. 1940

Roberta Spicer made this delicate watercolour on paper sometime in the 20th century. The painting shows an egg cup, rendered in soft, subtle shades of white and grey. You can almost feel the artist’s hand gently coaxing those delicate tones from the brush, slowly, so slowly. It looks as if the whiteness of the cup seems to merge with the emptiness of the paper. I think Spicer might have been interested in the kind of quietness that can be found in everyday objects. I think she might have been exploring how something so simple can still invite our gaze. Other artists, like Giorgio Morandi, have also painted simple objects like bottles and jars, because they are interested in the poetry of the mundane. Artists are always looking at what others have done and finding new ways to see the world. And there is always something there to learn about.