Pa. German Plate c. 1940

Charlotte Sperber made this drawing of a Pa. German Plate, but we don't know exactly when. The plate itself is a dark shadowy brown with hints of warm copper, and Sperber has created the drawing in the same hues. Imagine her, sitting and observing this plate, trying to copy its design. At the centre is a heart shape, framing the number 1824, and she must have been intrigued by the shapes and forms of folk art, the symmetry of tulips and birds. These kinds of plates were part of a tradition, you know? Artists looking at other artists, and artworks, riffing and reinterpreting. It makes you wonder what the original maker was thinking back in 1824 when they first made the plate! Sperber’s neat lines give the impression of the artwork being made with care and precision, reflecting the aesthetic values of her time. There is a conversation happening here, an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. You can sense it, right?