Pitcher c. 1940

This pitcher was rendered with watercolor by Giacinto Capelli, sometime between 1870 and 1920. The artist's chosen a simple palette, mainly blues and browns, and you get a sense of the handmade quality of the original object from his process of artmaking. I love the way the surface almost glows. It's like Capelli is showing us not just the object, but how light plays on its surface. The brushwork is free and expressive, especially those leafy decorations. They feel less like perfect botanical studies and more like gestures, capturing the spirit of the plant rather than its precise form. Notice the way the blue is applied in layers, creating depth and texture. There's a real sensitivity to the material, a feeling for the way the watercolor moves and settles on the paper. It makes me think of Giorgio Morandi, who also found endless inspiration in simple, everyday objects. Both artists remind us that beauty is often found in the most unexpected places. It's a conversation across time, an echo of one artist's vision in another.