Mug c. 1941

Sydney Roberts painted this mug with what looks like watercolour on paper. The approach is very straightforward, simple even. But it’s in that simplicity that the painting’s power lies. Roberts has taken an everyday object and given it a kind of monumentality. The mug is rendered in rich, warm tones of copper, with a contrasting cool grey handle. It’s interesting how Roberts uses the translucency of the watercolour to build up layers of colour, creating a sense of depth and volume. Look at how the light catches the rim of the mug, and then fades into shadow towards the bottom. It’s in these subtle gradations of colour that the form really comes alive. It reminds me of Morandi, who could make a whole world out of a few bottles. Like him, Roberts shows us that art isn't about grand gestures, it's about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. The painting isn't trying to shout, it's inviting us to contemplate.