Compote c. 1939

Editor: So, here we have Elisabeth Fulda's "Compote" from around 1939, rendered in watercolor and drawing. There's something so delicate and simple about it. How should we approach this piece? Curator: This drawing opens a window into the intersection of domesticity and artistic labor during the late 1930s. Instead of simply appreciating the aesthetic of the object, consider the social life of such glassware. Where was it produced? How was glass manufactured at that time? Editor: Good point. It seems commonplace, like everyday glass, but the way it’s rendered…makes me wonder about access to luxury, perhaps? Curator: Exactly. Consider its function within a middle-class home: was it mass produced or artisanal? Was the availability of consumer goods like glassware shifting at the time? This context helps us think about production, labor and class, revealing insights beyond pure aesthetics. Editor: I hadn't thought of it like that. I was focused on its simplicity, the clear shape. You’re right, thinking about manufacturing puts a whole different lens on this work! The mass production angle complicates things… Curator: How so? Think about watercolor as a medium too. A means of reproduction that challenges boundaries. This allows artists to share, cheaply, works they would otherwise only be able to show to a few. Editor: Hmm, so it’s not just *what* she’s painting, but *how*. Watercolor makes art more accessible through easier reproduction. Curator: Precisely! Examining "Compote" through materiality helps challenge those long held values we have about art and craftsmanship, wouldn't you say? Editor: Definitely. It has completely transformed my understanding of such seemingly simple art, so to speak! Curator: Exactly! Recognizing this context invites dialogue beyond the visual; understanding what the process informs our understanding of art in that specific cultural moment.