Still Life c. 1959 - 1964

Curator: Looking at Morandi's small watercolor "Still Life" at the Harvard Art Museums, I'm struck by how understated it is. Editor: Yes, it almost floats off the page! Those muted blues and grays create such a quiet, contemplative mood. Curator: Morandi returned to these simple bottles and boxes again and again throughout his career. Editor: Like visual poems, obsessively rewritten. Do you think he was trying to capture the essence of these objects? Curator: Perhaps. Or the essence of seeing itself. The lack of clear dating suggests an ongoing exploration, a return to the same forms. Editor: The unassuming nature of the painting almost obscures its power. Curator: It invites you to look closely, to find beauty in the everyday. Editor: A gentle reminder that the world is full of art, even in simple bottles, waiting to be revealed. Curator: Exactly, I'll be thinking about that "revelation" for some time. Editor: Me too, it changes how you see!