Holland Gin Keg c. 1937

This watercolour of a Holland Gin Keg was made by Bertha Stefano. I'm imagining her, brush in hand, trying to capture the cool, muted tones of the ceramic. I love the way she’s rendered the decorations - that fish looks pretty fierce, right? I wonder what Stefano thought of it? Was she amused by its graphic quality, or more interested in the way the blue pops against the grey of the keg? There’s a lot of back and forth in painting - the artist is constantly making decisions, shifting things around until it feels right. It’s about layering, both literally with the paint, and metaphorically with ideas and feelings. Stefano, like all artists, is in conversation with other image makers, echoing, responding, and pushing back. Ultimately, a painting is an embodied expression and this one feels very grounded and present.