Wine Glass 1935 - 1942

Agnes Karlin painted this watercolor titled 'Wine Glass'. In this artwork, we see the symbol of the wine glass. It is a vessel pregnant with meaning. Since antiquity, the vessel, the cup, or chalice has been imbued with significance far beyond its practical function. In religious contexts, it has symbolized the Holy Grail, the vessel of Christ's blood, representing sacrifice and spiritual sustenance. Think back further and we find that drinking vessels feature prominently in the Dionysian rites of ancient Greece, where wine flowed freely, unlocking ecstatic states. It is a potent symbol of transformation, of crossing boundaries between the material and the divine. One can trace the reverberations of this symbol across centuries, finding echoes in secular art. Yet its roots in ritual and spiritual experience give it a lasting charge, engaging us on a profound level with themes of life, death, and renewal. This little wine glass contains much.