Plate 2: From Portfolio "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania" c. 1939

This print is from a portfolio titled "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania". It’s a plate based on a sgraffito design, probably made in the early nineteenth century. The palette is warm with reds, yellows, and blues, all rendered in flat shapes to create a stylized floral motif. Imagine the person who made the original plate: they were likely thinking about design, pattern, and the everyday objects that could be made more beautiful through decoration. I picture them, gently scratching through layers of glaze to reveal a contrasting color underneath. It’s a slow, meditative process. And this print, made much later, seems like a further act of translation—taking something from one medium and rendering it in another, paying homage to the tradition of folk art and the beauty of simple, hand-crafted designs. It reminds us that art is always in conversation with what came before, and that even the simplest gestures can carry deep meaning and connection.