Jug 1935 - 1942

John Dana made this watercolor painting of a jug, a humble vessel, sometime in the 20th century. I find myself wondering about his mark-making. It’s a series of parallel lines, a kind of tonal hatching. The color palette is muted, yet it makes you feel something. Dana seemed to have an appreciation for everyday objects, focusing on the particular texture of the jug, the way the light glances off the surface. It’s solid, sturdy. And next to it, the mark of the maker. Perhaps this is a nod to the crafts movement, an appreciation for usefulness and beauty combined. It reminds me of Morandi, who spent his whole life painting bottles. Like Dana, he showed us how looking closely at the ordinary can be extraordinary. These paintings invite us to slow down, to contemplate the simple beauty of the world around us, and find poetry in the everyday.