Glass Bowl 1935 - 1942

Rolland Livingstone rendered this drawing of a glass bowl, with accompanying design details, in graphite and watercolor. Given Livingstone's life dates, it's likely from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. At this time, art schools across Europe and North America emphasized technical drawing as fundamental to artistic and industrial production. Note the precise rendering of light and shadow, aimed at giving a three-dimensional presence to the object. These skills were useful for commercial design and manufacturing. The image prompts us to consider the social history of glass production. What class of people would have acquired such a bowl? Was it handmade or mass-produced? How were the aesthetics of glass objects changing at this time, and what values did new designs express? Answering these questions would require archival research into glass manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of the period. The history of art is always tied to the history of society.