Hour Glass c. 1938 - 1940

Editor: Edith Bry’s "Hour Glass," likely created between 1938 and 1940, is rendered with what seems like meticulous pencil work. The overall feeling is one of quiet reflection, almost melancholy. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the surface, I sense layers of symbolism tied to memory and the passage of time. Note how the central figure gazes at the portrait on the mantelpiece. It is more than just a picture; it is a carefully staged representation of the past. Editor: The portrait definitely draws the eye, dominating the composition, along with the mantel ornaments. Curator: Precisely. The items on the mantel–urns, statuettes–speak to the weight we ascribe to objects, burdening them with emotional significance. They transform into containers for reminiscences, like the eponymous hour glass – a traditional memento mori. The woman’s act of contemplation invites us to question what it is we memorialize, and why. How does this resonate with you? Editor: I guess I hadn’t thought about the objects themselves being symbolic. It makes me think about how we create our own personal iconography. I tend to fixate on the figures first, which in this case seems incomplete somehow. Curator: Interesting. Even the seemingly casual inclusion of the sleeping cat points towards the comfort and continuity of domestic life, counterpointing that contemplation on time. Bry uses familiar objects to explore our personal connection to the past. This continuity anchors her—the cat a grounding talisman of sorts. Editor: So, the image isn’t just about remembering, it’s also about finding stability in the present? I see that now. Thanks for guiding me to see that connection. Curator: Art can reveal that to us, those small glimpses into larger human experience, right? Thanks for making the connection so plain to me.