Bell from Ship c. 1940

Robert Taylor made this watercolor of a ship's bell, but the date of its creation is unknown. Look closely at how Taylor approached the burnished surface of the bell, the light seems to radiate from the very center and spreads softly outwards. The color palette is so simple, focusing our attention on light and shade. Notice how the heavy curves of the metal frame contrast with the smooth simple surfaces of the bell and its wooden base. I love the way the base has been rendered; it’s the darkest area of the painting and yet it feels translucent. It reminds me a little of some of Giorgio Morandi’s paintings of bottles. Both artists create these small, intimate studies, and somehow imbue simple objects with a quiet, still presence. Like Morandi, Taylor understands that ambiguity allows for multiple interpretations, revealing something new each time we look.