Shaker Case for Knitting Needles 1935 - 1942

Elizabeth Moutal made this watercolour painting of a Shaker Case for Knitting Needles. Just imagine her carefully building up the colours layer by layer! The blue of the case is so dense and velvety. It’s as if you could just reach out and feel the soft nap of the fabric. I can really sense her feeling for the subject. Think about her process; the quiet contemplation of the object. Did she want to capture its essence, its usefulness? The way she uses the watercolour is lovely. The different tones of blue and gray create a real sense of depth and volume. The embroidered details are so delicate and precise. I love how she has rendered the shadows and highlights, giving the case a sense of weight and presence. It reminds me of the still life paintings of Giorgio Morandi, the way he could make humble objects seem so monumental. Moutal's love for the object really shines through. It makes you think about the everyday items that we take for granted. All artists are having a dialogue, and we are lucky to witness this.