Covered Jar 1939

John Matulis made this drawing of a covered jar sometime in the 20th century. I see ochre, pale red, and some light hatching, like gentle whispers across the surface. I can imagine Matulis really looking at this humble object. Maybe he was drawn to the imperfections, the subtle variations in tone and texture. The jar has some numbers on the surface, perhaps a catalog number for the original item? Maybe the act of drawing became a way of knowing for him, the same way that painting becomes a way of thinking for me. I wonder if he ever thought about how his drawing of the jar would wind up in a museum collection, a record of a functional object transformed into a work of art. Artists like Matulis remind me that art is not always about grand gestures or epic statements. Sometimes it’s about noticing the quiet beauty in the everyday, and about making that beauty visible to others. We’re all in this big conversation together, trading ideas, keeping it fresh.