Bandbox c. 1939

Joseph Rothenberg’s ‘Bandbox’ is an undated watercolour depicting a cylindrical box, and when I look at it I think about what it means to translate something three-dimensional into two dimensions. Rothenberg has used watercolour to evoke the way light interacts with the object’s surface, suggesting a process of layering. The colour palette is dominated by tan and blue. These colours work together to describe the patterns on the box. In the rendering of these motifs and shapes, the artist seems to have embraced a kind of controlled looseness. Look at the way the blue paint bleeds slightly beyond the lines of the pattern. This is how Rothenberg creates depth and a sense of volume. See how the blue trim helps to define the shape of the box, while the details of the decorative pattern invite us to look closer, revealing the artist’s interest in texture and surface. It reminds me a little of the work of Mary Delany, who created detailed botanical collages from paper, but I think Rothenberg is more interested in the container than what it holds. Ultimately, this image is about the pleasure of looking and trying to capture that experience in paint.