Cream Pitcher 1935 - 1942

This Cream Pitcher by Janet Riza is a small study in blue. It really speaks to the pleasure of painting, the enjoyment of simply describing something, and finding joy in the color, tone and form. The paint is applied with a kind of flat intensity, that strong blue hue capturing how light moves across the surface of the glass. You can imagine the meticulous process of applying each layer, building up the density of the color. The handle is like a dark question mark, an almost cartoonish, and very satisfying loop. This piece reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi, that Italian painter who spent his life painting bottles. Like Morandi, Riza finds poetry in the mundane. These objects aren't just things; they’re containers of light, color, and feeling.