Stoneware Jar c. 1939

Annie B. Johnston made this drawing of a stoneware jar; the date is unknown, but sometime between 1855 and 1995 seems likely. The pale terracotta color, rendered with a light touch, is so warm it’s almost peach. I imagine Johnston, gazing at the stoneware, trying to capture its essence. The jar itself is so humble, so domestic. I wonder what it held. Maybe something sweet? I can almost smell whatever’s inside, something earthy and sweet. The thin line of dark around the lid is so precise, so careful. It is interesting to see how Johnston balances representation with a kind of flattening. The form is there, but it's also about shape. I love how Johnston’s image resonates with folk art traditions, reminding me of those wonderful anonymous portraits, where the artist is more interested in the object than in perfect realism. It's like she's inviting us to slow down, to really see the beauty in the everyday.