Sugar Bowl c. 1938

Richard Barnett’s ‘Sugar Bowl’ is a tender rendering of a decorative household object. I can almost see him painting it. I wonder how long it took to create this lovely little drawing? Maybe Barnett was taken with the shapes and patterns, with how the light fell across this object, and the way the light and dark areas meet to create such a soothing blue tone. The white decoration around the sugar bowl is so gentle, almost timid. But then, there is also something slightly unsettling about the way it drips down the sides of the pot. The object seems so still and perfect. Did Barnett want to make an exact copy of the object, or was he more interested in capturing something else, an emotion or a memory? He’s in conversation with the likes of Giorgio Morandi in his quietness of subject matter. For me, this work invites a feeling of contemplation, an awareness of subtle shifts and variations in the things around us.