Pewter Ewer c. 1936

John Dixon made this watercolor painting of a pewter ewer, and when you look at it, you can almost feel the slow, delicate brushstrokes that built up this silvery, everyday object. I imagine Dixon, squinting in the light, trying to capture the way light glinted off the curved surface of the metal. The paint is applied in these sheer, watery layers, capturing the subtle gradients and shifting tones of the object, from the ornate lid to the little spigot at the bottom. There’s something so humble and intimate about focusing on a utilitarian object like this. Dixon turns a simple vessel into a study of light and form, elevating the mundane into the extraordinary. In a way, it reminds me of Morandi and his bottles, finding endless inspiration in the stuff of everyday life, celebrating the beauty in simplicity. It's a gentle reminder of how artists throughout time are constantly looking, learning from each other, seeing the world anew.