Cream Pitcher c. 1938

John Dana painted this cream pitcher, probably sometime in the 20th century, with watercolor on paper. It's got this gentle wash of green, almost like he was trying to capture the light filtering through the glass itself. You can almost see him, can't you? Bending over this object, really looking, trying to get the exact curve of the handle, the way the pattern catches the light. It’s not about being perfect, more about getting to know the object intimately. The brushstrokes are delicate, as though he's caressing the paper, and the color feels so true. There is this whole history of painters painting pitchers, coffeepots, jugs. Morandi did it, Cezanne too. Each one looking, learning, thinking about the world through the shape and sheen of a simple object. It’s like they are all in conversation, these artists, across time and space, each learning from the last, adding their voice to the chorus. Painting like this lets us slow down, look closer, and really see the beauty in the everyday.