Miniature Flask c. 1939

John Tarantino made this painting of a miniature flask sometime between 1855 and 1995, but when exactly? And what kind of ink and paper did he use? It's got this beautifully muted palette, all these soft grays and browns, that gives it a dreamlike feeling. I can imagine Tarantino hunched over his desk, squinting at these little flasks, trying to capture the way the light hits them. He’s probably thinking about their texture, their weight, how they feel in the hand. The way he's rendered the details, with such care and precision, you can almost feel the smooth surface of the flask and make out the delicate flower and heart motifs. It's like he's trying to preserve a moment in time, to freeze these everyday objects and turn them into something precious. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi, in its quiet, contemplative mood. Ultimately, it's about how artists are always in conversation with each other, riffing off each other's ideas, pushing the boundaries of what painting can do.