Pewter Teapot 1935 - 1942

John Tarantino’s Pewter Teapot, made without a date, looks like it was carefully rendered with pencil and watercolor. I love the patient detail, how the grey tones shift and vary to give form to a humble object. You can tell the artist lingered, really looked. I can imagine John squinting at a teapot, thinking, how do I describe this thing in front of me, how do I translate it? The wood handle and knob on the lid are warmer, browner, which makes the cool metallic greys sing. There’s an under-drawing still visible as faint lines around the teapot, so you can see the artist’s process of building and correcting. Like Morandi, Tarantino elevates simple, everyday objects. The quietness, the concentration, makes you realize that it isn't just a teapot, it’s about the act of seeing and describing. And that's painting in a nutshell.