Fruit Dish - "Quebec" c. 1936

This plate, "Fruit Dish - 'Quebec'," by Helmut Hiatt, feels like a story told in layers, a history etched onto a surface. The muted palette, almost like a faded photograph, sets a tone of nostalgia, of looking back. The material itself has a humble quality to it, like it’s been handled and loved, seen some things. I'm drawn to the border, the way the eagles and foliage are repeated, creating a rhythm that's both decorative and a little bit unsettling. It's not perfect; the lines waver, the details blur but that's where the charm lies, right? Look at how the scene in the center is framed with curlicues. It’s a window onto another time, another place, a ship arriving in Quebec. Maybe it’s about arrival, about new beginnings, about how we carry our past with us. Artists like Hiatt are in conversation with the past. It feels like he wants us to remember something we’ve already forgotten.