Toby Pottery Jug c. 1938

This “Toby Pottery Jug” was painted by Katharine Merrill. The earth tones give it this grounded, almost nostalgic feel, right? What gets me is how Merrill plays with the surface—it's got this beautiful, almost glazed quality, like real pottery, but it’s watercolour on paper. Look closer, and you can see these vertical strokes, especially around the body of the jug, that suggest this roundness, this volume. It's like Merrill is building the form right in front of us. And the head emerging from the jug, it's quirky, unexpected. It reminds me of Redon, this quiet, introspective vibe. But Merrill’s got this very American, folk-art thing happening too. It’s a drawing, but she’s also mapping out the object, almost like a technical diagram. The drawing to me is a playful conversation, Merrill's talking across time, across styles, and it’s all there in the jug.