Bowl 1941

Carl Buergerniss rendered this bowl using watercolor and graphite, capturing its exact size. As a visual record, this drawing invites us to consider the domestic space and the objects that inhabit it. Buergerniss, active in the early to mid-20th century, lived in a period of immense social and economic change. The seemingly simple bowl, adorned with blue floral patterns, speaks to the cultural value placed on domesticity and the feminine sphere. The careful rendering of the floral design echoes the popular arts and crafts movement, which sought to elevate handmade objects in response to industrialization. Consider how the bowl, as an object, might have been used, and by whom. Was it a treasured heirloom, passed down through generations? Or an everyday item, used for nourishment and sustenance? The drawing prompts us to reflect on the lives of those who interacted with such objects, their stories, and their place within a rapidly changing society.