Coffee Pot c. 1940

Oscar Bluhme made this Coffee Pot painting with watercolor washes. The subtle gradations of tone, the way the light seems to softly diffuse across the surface of the metal, that's the magic of watercolor, right? Bluhme really understood the potential of the medium, how to build up washes to create depth. Look at the way he's captured the sheen of the metal—it's not about a hard outline, but about these delicate shifts in value. I’m always interested in the conversation between flatness and depth. The handle of the pot is rendered in this bold, black shape, almost like a graphic element. And that placement of the signature at the bottom, so understated, it’s as if the pot is signing its own name. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, the way he could take these simple, everyday objects and turn them into something so profound. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about grand gestures, but about seeing the world with fresh eyes, finding beauty in the mundane.