Crock c. 1939

Elsie Wein made this drawing of a crock at an unknown date. It’s mostly done in muted browns and blues, which creates a real sense of depth and texture. Look at the way the artist renders the surface of the crock. It’s not just about showing us what a crock looks like, but also about the physicality of the object. The way the artist uses shading and detail, especially around the base, makes it feel like you could reach out and touch it. It’s not quite photorealism, but it’s not trying to be, there’s a painterly quality. The little details, like the imperfections on the rim and the subtle color variations across the surface, give it a real sense of history. It reminds me a little of Morandi's still life paintings – a quiet contemplation of everyday objects and how they inhabit space. What I love about art is how it can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.