Pa. German Plate c. 1938

Giacinto Capelli made this Pa. German Plate at an unknown date with watercolor and graphite on paper. I can imagine Capelli hunched over a desk, carefully rendering this plate. The soft graphite marks and diluted washes of color make this less about the object itself and more about memory, or even wishful thinking. There’s something so human about trying to recreate an object on paper, isn't there? It’s like holding onto something that’s already gone. I’m thinking about how material culture operates, and how folk art objects become repositories for cultural memory and identity, and how Capelli's work offers a window into this dialogue, and reminds me of the fleeting nature of tradition, and the effort to preserve it through representation. Capelli is tracing the real thing, trying to pin down what it means. It’s humble, searching, and reminds me of my own process.