Plate c. 1936

This 'Plate' by Joseph Sudek is conjured in watercolor and pencil, and the process feels like a quiet meditation on the everyday. I imagine Sudek gently coaxing the image onto paper, a little like Giorgio Morandi, building up layers of diluted color to capture the subtle glow of light on the plate’s surface. The soft blue decorations look almost like memories, floating and hazy, reminding me of half-remembered stories told over dinner. Look at the delicate gold rim; it’s as if Sudek is trying to elevate the humble plate to something precious, something worthy of our attention. I wonder if Sudek saw himself in this plate? A simple object, holding space for nourishment, for connection. It reminds me that art is everywhere, even in the simplest of forms. These paintings of plates, they're like little poems—quiet, thoughtful, and deeply personal.