Plate - "Landing of the Pilgrims" c. 1936

This eight-inch plate of the "Landing of the Pilgrims" was designed by Helmut Hiatt, who was born in 1855 and died in 1995. The monochrome image has a real folksy feel. It's all about the details in the border, the way those swirling patterns echo the waves below the pilgrim's boat. It reminds me of how process-oriented artmaking can be. Look closely at the center scene: that tiny boat on the choppy sea, those little figures bravely stepping onto the new land. I love the way the image is both detailed and kind of roughly rendered, you can almost feel the texture of the plate under your fingers. The limited color palette here—just black and white—adds to the dramatic feel, almost like a scene from an old movie, all shadows and mystery. This feels very similar to the kind of historical iconography that Thomas Nast was deploying in his political cartoons, though with a very different intention. Ultimately, it emphasizes that art doesn't always have to be complicated. Sometimes, it's the simple things that speak the loudest.