Cream Pitcher c. 1937

Janet Riza made this Cream Pitcher, a watercolour on paper, sometime in the 20th Century. Riza's way of working here feels very process-oriented. She’s trying to work out how to represent this object, and that feels like a kind of thinking. The watercolour is thinly applied, almost like a delicate wash, which allows the paper to breathe and the light to bounce around. The glass pitcher is outlined in blue, with each facet carefully delineated. You can almost feel the artist's hand as she traces the contours, and the light-handed application of pigment creates a sense of depth and volume, which is really nice. Look at the way she renders the handle of the pitcher! The lines are a little wobbly, a little unsure, but they have a sensitivity that makes the drawing even more compelling. It reminds me a bit of some of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, which also have this lovely attention to everyday objects. Art is really just one long conversation, isn't it?