Flask 1936

This watercolor shows some flasks, probably made with a design in mind for an object to be crafted. I'm thinking about the hand of Howard H. Sherman, who made it, carefully tracing the details, shifting the tones of tan and brown so it looks like light is hitting these little containers. It makes me think of someone in a workshop, thinking through how something could be made. There's one version with flowers, another with little ridges, and another with handles. Sherman is not just copying something; he is reimagining it, making his own variations, kind of like a painter does with a series. I can imagine him thinking through how the curves of the design would catch the light, how the object would feel in someone’s hand. The history of art is full of these kinds of exchanges, where people look at things and find ways to make them new, and each variation carries an echo of the past, while also pushing toward something new.