Small Cup and Saucer c. 1937

Harry Mann Waddell made this little watercolor of a cup and saucer, and looking at it now, it feels like a quiet moment captured in time. The palette is understated, almost monochromatic, which gives it a timeless quality. You can tell this wasn’t just about recording an image, it was about a process of looking and feeling. The way Waddell handles the material is interesting. The paint is applied in thin washes, allowing the paper to breathe beneath. There’s a delicate balance between detail and suggestion. Notice how the rim of the saucer is adorned with floral motifs, each petal and leaf rendered with care. It makes me think about the small, everyday moments of beauty that often go unnoticed. This piece reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi's still life paintings, those studies in muted tones and simple forms, because it’s more about the act of looking, and how we find meaning in the mundane. It is a lovely meditation on seeing.