Jug c. 1936

Vincent Carano made this drawing of a jug, we don't know exactly when, using pencil and watercolor. What strikes me first is the layering of tones, the careful build-up of color to suggest the jug's form, almost like a delicate dance. You can sense the artist figuring it out as they go. Look closely, and you'll see a division, a shift from the brown top to the creamy, embossed scene below. The brown watercolor feels thin, almost transparent, while the lower part of the jug has a ghostly quality. I love how those running dogs are almost emerging out of the surface itself. It's like a dream. That sketchy detail on the bottom left, it's as if Carano is showing us possible ornamentation or maybe a glimpse into the process. It reminds me of some of Guston's later works, where he leaves bits of his process visible, making the art not just an object but a record of its own making. Art is always a conversation, isn't it? Always open, never quite finished.