Three Quart Beer Pitcher c. 1940

This is Carl Buergerniss’s "Three Quart Beer Pitcher", a watercolour made sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It’s just great. The subtle washes of pigment give the form of the pitcher a soft focus, a gentle haze that is almost dreamlike. What interests me most about the piece is the way that Buergerniss plays with texture. The grey of the body of the pitcher is contrasted with the highly decorated blue section. Here a bold pattern of circles sits beside a swirling organic motif. The blue is dense, but thin, so that the colour sits on the surface of the paper. This is completely different from the treatment of the pewter lid, which is full of tonal variation. Take a look at the way the light catches the handle. I see a connection between Buergerniss’s rendering of everyday objects and the work of Giorgio Morandi. Both find endless variation and interest in a simple still life. Neither offers a definitive, fixed viewpoint, but instead invites us to pause and reflect on the beauty of the everyday.