Jug c. 1937

Curator: This is "Jug," a watercolor drawing rendered around 1937 by Charles Caseau. It stands out as quite representative of its time, don’t you think? Editor: I do. The object itself is simple. Practical. Grounded somehow. The muted palette brings out the subtleties. Very tranquil! Curator: Notice how Caseau utilizes watercolor and colored pencil to convey the jug's materiality. We see subtle variations in tone that suggest the object's weight and form, which imply that the production of pottery held particular socio-economic significance. Editor: Yes, I'm intrigued by how he pairs precision with looseness. The little bird motif is playful and seems sketched with a loving familiarity; as though there is some domestic narrative unfolding before our eyes. Curator: It's all about that tension, isn't it? Caseau elevates the jug to an aesthetic level. A focus that makes it exemplary of his craft. Editor: And this speaks volumes about labor of domesticity! It takes on some special, symbolic weight. One imagines, does it function as the vessel for emotional substance as well, perhaps like carrying joy or memories through the everyday. Curator: I think this is partly right: The formal style employed in “Jug”, combined with the subject matter's modest origin, invites commentary on the class distinctions as reflected through the art's medium. Editor: So you are referring to a sort of tension, a juxtaposition in the aesthetic hierarchy… the beauty found in the humble! As an image, the Jug remains, bearing our contemplation over time. Curator: Precisely. It encourages a reassessment of value systems... a nod to both functional art and to domestic work. Editor: To see value in all sorts of quotidian details opens such exciting new narrative possibilities. Now I wonder, where are all the lost vessels and tools now?