Jar c. 1938

Jean Peszel made this watercolor of a stoneware jar sometime in the 20th century. It’s so straightforward, really just an exercise in seeing and describing. Look at the way she’s built up the form with layers of grey and brown washes, letting the color pool in some areas and leaving others drier, more textured. The blue scalloped design around the top is especially nice, each little flourish carefully observed and recorded. You can feel the artist’s attention, her focus on capturing the subtle variations in light and shadow, the way the glaze reflects and refracts. I love the crack running down the side, it speaks to the jar’s age and use. It reminds me of the kind of quiet, unassuming beauty you find in everyday objects, the kind that Chardin celebrated. It’s an object of utility rendered with care and consideration, elevated by the simple act of looking. You could spend hours staring at a Giorgio Morandi, and this gives me the same quiet satisfaction.