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

This print of a sgraffito plate from rural Pennsylvania uses just a few colours, but they really pop. The palette is simple - red, yellow, blue, and the buff of the paper. It's interesting to think about how the image was made. With sgraffito, you scratch through a layer to reveal what's underneath, so the artist was probably thinking in terms of positive and negative space. It’s like they were carving out these shapes, letting them bloom into a kind of folk art fantasia. The texture isn’t really there, but the forms and their outlines speak volumes. There's something about the way the curves of the petals meet the sharpness of the leaves that creates a push-and-pull effect. It’s like a dance. You know, this piece reminds me a little of some of Matisse's cut-outs, where simple shapes create a powerful impact. It’s just a beautiful example of how art can be both simple and incredibly profound.