Bellows Bottle c. 1936

Frank Fumagalli rendered this "Bellows Bottle" on paper, presenting us with more than just a drawing of an object. Notice the elaborate frills and curves adorning the bottle’s body. This ornamentation, echoing the Baroque spirit, speaks to a desire for exuberance and the theatrical. Consider how the serpent-like curve has wound its way through art history. From ancient Greek depictions of snakes as symbols of healing and transformation, to their reappearance in Renaissance art, these forms twist and turn, each time carrying a sense of primal energy. Here, they evoke a sense of subconscious association, perhaps stirring feelings of both allure and unease. The design reflects our collective fascination with the organic and the ornamental. These motifs, like fragments of a dream, remind us that art is a vessel carrying emotions and memories from one era to the next.