Vase c. 1938

Isidore Steinberg made this watercolour painting of a vase, sometime in the 20th century. And look at that blue! It’s like he took a deep breath and exhaled it right onto the page. The way Steinberg built up the colour, you can almost feel the watery brushstrokes. The paint's not too thick, not trying to be something it isn't. It’s comfortable, like an old friend. Notice how the light plays around the curves of the vase, the way it makes the blue almost glow. It’s as if he’s not just painting a vase, but capturing the essence of light itself. See the little squiggles where the body meets the neck, that bit that looks a little like a person? It’s all about the human touch, the little imperfections that make it real. It reminds me of Morandi and his bottles, but with a bit more pep, a bit more of that electric blue. It’s a conversation across time, and an embrace of ambiguity.