Jug 1935 - 1942

Charles Caseau created this Jug with watercolor, and you can tell it was a journey. The rendering of the jug is lovely in its simplicity and subtle washes. The blue decoration, and the spare color palette, give the work a graphic, almost diagrammatic feel, like a technical drawing but with the warmth of a personal touch. It’s as if Caseau is not just showing us the jug, but also how he sees it, how he understands its form. Look at the drips coming down the side of the jug. Caseau has let the paint do its thing, embracing the inherent qualities of the medium. It’s that balance between control and chance, intention and accident, that makes the painting so appealing to me. It reminds me a little of the work of Giorgio Morandi, in its quiet contemplation of everyday objects, and the way that simple forms can become carriers of profound feeling. The work becomes this ongoing conversation between the artist, the object, and the medium.