Jug 1935 - 1942

Nicholas Amantea’s drawing of a jug is a humble, careful study in muted earth tones and blues. Imagine him, pencil in hand, squinting at the object. I feel his methodical approach, carefully building up the tones to capture the jug's slightly irregular form. He’s almost caressing it with his gaze. The blues, though, are a bit more playful, loose renditions of flowers, and some text applied to the surface of the jug. These almost feel like a separate act, more gestural and free, like a little dance on the surface of the form. It makes me think about the way we look at objects, with a desire to pin them down with accuracy. We almost want to possess them through representation. But then there’s this other impulse, to let loose, to play, to decorate, and to let our own selves be known. This drawing really brings those impulses together. It reminds us that painting is always a conversation between seeing and feeling, between observation and imagination.