Compote c. 1939

This is Beverly Chichester's "Compote," a watercolor likely dating to the mid-20th century. The artist carefully rendered its glossy surface. The object depicted is itself an exploration of material qualities. Glass-making is a skillful, labor-intensive practice requiring precision and timing. A gather of molten glass is blown and manipulated, spun, and cooled. The color is achieved by adding minerals to the batch, making the material itself a canvas. The compote's form also speaks to the history of design. The pedestal base and domed lid give it a sense of formality, elevating the fruit or sweets it would have contained. It's a perfect synthesis of craft and industry, design and utility. It would be easy to overlook the close relationship between this watercolor and the object it depicts, but both are products of skillful hands, and both demonstrate the power of material to shape our perceptions.