Candlestick c. 1938

Mary Fitzgerald made this beautiful watercolor, Candlestick, on paper sometime between 1870 and 1930. I can just imagine Mary, carefully rendering these objects; a study of light, shadow, and form. Look how the objects almost float on the creamy paper, each rendered with subtle washes of color and detail, reflecting the light. I bet she was thinking about the different textures of metal – smooth, reflective, and warm. Each form is carefully observed, the delicate variations in tone creating a kind of quiet harmony on the page. It reminds me of other watercolorists like John Singer Sargent or even Georgia O’Keeffe, in its close attention to natural forms. It’s like Mary is having a conversation across time with all these other painters, inspiring each other. Painting offers us a way to see the world anew, full of endless possibilities and interpretations.