Bottle c. 1876 - 1878

Editor: Here we have Charles Herbert’s watercolor, "Bottle," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a rather unassuming depiction of everyday life, but something about the texture and the muted colors really draws me in. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a meditation on the beauty of the commonplace, filtered through the lens of class and labor. Who made this bottle, and under what conditions? Who would have consumed its contents? Understanding those social relations enriches our experience. Editor: That’s a really interesting perspective! I was mostly focused on the technique, but you're right, there's a whole other story here. Curator: Precisely. And in whose hands was this bottle meant to be placed? Editor: I never thought of art as a political tool. Curator: Everything is political if you look close enough. Editor: I’ll be sure to remember that. Thanks! Curator: Likewise.