Jug c. 1936

John Dana made this drawing of a jug with what looks like watercolor or gouache, and maybe some colored pencil? The color is so specific, like that burnt umber shade you find in old pottery, or even gravy. It's applied in such a way that you can really see the hand of the artist in the process, the marks and strokes visible, not trying to hide anything. It’s like the painting itself is a kind of pottery, built up from layers. Look at the way the light hits the side of the jug, how Dana uses those small dabs of color to give it shape and form. The animals around the jug and in the cutout give it a kind of folksy, timeless feel. I'm thinking of someone like Marsden Hartley, with that same interest in simple forms and everyday objects. It makes you wonder about all the different ways we see and experience the world. You know?