Decanter c. 1940

George Yanosko made this watercolor drawing of a decanter. The image allows us to consider the visual codes of luxury and the social rituals surrounding alcohol consumption. The decanter, with its elaborate cut glass, evokes a sense of refinement and the rituals of upper-class dining. The act of decanting wine itself implies a certain level of connoisseurship and leisure, signaling a specific cultural milieu. It is likely that this image was made in the United States. Yanosko, born in 1855, lived through a period of immense social and economic change. A close look at the artist’s biography, as well as historical sources about the temperance movement and the social history of glassware, can enrich our understanding of this piece. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.