Pa. German Dish c. 1938

William L. Antrim made this Pa. German Dish at an unknown date. The way this dish has been painted, the design really pops, doesn’t it? Look at the two birds—or maybe it’s one bird with two heads—right in the center, like a kind of heraldic emblem. The white and brown marks are casual but purposeful. The surface texture almost seems like fabric. Those colors are so direct, so unmixed, and the graphic quality makes me think of a sign. The decoration around the edge is so exuberant, green swirls and yellow shapes create a flow around the birds. It’s so lively! It kind of reminds me of the work of Roger Brown, that similar interest in folk art and pattern and the use of bold, flat color. This piece is an example of how art can take something traditional and make it utterly new.