Elephant still bank c. 20th century

This charming elephant bank, here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is covered in blue paint on a white ceramic surface. I can imagine someone, somewhere, carefully painting each detail with a tiny brush, slowly building up the image. The way the blue paint is applied has an almost folksy feel, especially with those stylized designs. It reminds me of Delftware. I can see the artist making an attempt to capture the world around them. This little elephant is not just an object, but an attempt to translate a world onto a form. That one quick stroke of blue for the horizon line – it's amazing how a single gesture can communicate so much. It’s as if they are in conversation with the long history of painters who have tried to capture the essence of light and space. Ultimately, it’s about how we see each other seeing, and imagining, and making.