Compote c. 1936

Marcus Moran made this drawing of a blue compote using what looks like watercolor on paper. I love that the whole thing is blue, like he was really feeling a certain mood that day. The paint is applied in thin washes. You can see the way he built up the form with layers and layers of semi-transparent colour, in the foot of the compote, for instance. There’s an area of darker, almost inky blue, where you get a real sense of pooling. It’s almost as if he was trying to capture the feeling of wetness, the way light reflects off of a glossy surface. It reminds me a little of Morandi, you know, the way he reduced everything to these simple, kind of meditative forms. Both artists are interested in the poetry of everyday objects and how we can find beauty in the mundane. What I find so appealing is that the artist is not trying to show us anything too flashy or spectacular, but rather inviting us to slow down and appreciate the quiet, subtle beauty of a simple form.