Small Pitcher c. 1938

John Dana made this watercolor drawing of a small pitcher; it’s a very particular kind of looking. There’s a real sensitivity to light, a sense of transparency. You can almost feel the artist considering the object, the way it refracts light, not really trying to replicate it exactly, but to find a balance between the real thing and its representation. Dana builds up the pitcher’s form with these vertical strokes, suggesting its shape while also leaving room for the eye to fill in the blanks. I’m drawn to the blue outline, it is such a simple, effective contrast with the milky glass. It makes me think of Giorgio Morandi, another artist obsessed with the quiet beauty of everyday objects. Both artists share a similar dedication to observation, transforming the ordinary into something poetic. Art’s like that: a conversation across time, a way of seeing and feeling that evolves, and we're all invited to join in.