Vase c. 1937

This drawing of a vase was made by John Tarantino, though we don't know exactly when. It seems he was feeling the particular yellow-green of the glass, and wanted to study it by drawing. Look at the way the color is laid down, in thin washes and strokes, allowing the light to penetrate and reflect. It reminds me of Morandi's still lifes, a similar interest in the everyday object. You can see how Tarantino lets the process be visible, the pencil marks and the slight unevenness of the color creating a sense of depth. It's like he's trying to capture not just the object, but also the experience of seeing it. And the base! It's almost like a stage. The vase sits confidently, a testament to Tarantino's close looking and tender mark-making. It's a reminder that art is, after all, an ongoing dialogue, an exchange of ideas across time.