Pipe c. 1936

Mabel Ritter’s ‘Pipe’ is painted on a light canvas with watercolors, in what looks like quite a direct manner. I can imagine Ritter, perhaps alone in her studio, carefully layering these brownish washes, delicately outlining the shapes of the pipes with what I imagine to be a very fine brush. The details, such as the text inscribed on the objects, must have required patience and a steady hand! There’s a stillness here, a quiet focus on the forms and textures of these everyday objects. I can almost feel the smoothness of the pipe's wood in my own hands. It makes me think about other painters like Giorgio Morandi, who similarly found endless inspiration in humble, ordinary objects. Through close observation and careful rendering, Ritter elevates these pipes to something worthy of contemplation. There is something deeply satisfying in that, don't you think?