Cream Pitcher c. 1940

This watercolor painting, *Cream Pitcher*, was made by Hugh Ryan sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Look at the way the brown pigment pools and settles on the paper; you can almost feel Ryan coaxing the form of the pitcher into being. Painting, at its best, is an act of faith, right? Each brushstroke a small, committed gesture towards something not yet fully formed. I imagine Ryan, hunched over his table, eyes squinting in concentration. Maybe he's thinking about Cezanne and trying to find the structure in this humble object. Or maybe he’s just enjoying the dance of light and shadow across its surface. The subtle shifts in tone, the way the color warms around the rim… you can sense him responding to the object, moment by moment. And those little red accents, almost like a blush on the pitcher's cheek! Ryan's work reminds us that art isn't just about grand statements. It's about the quiet, persistent exploration of the world around us, one brushstroke at a time.