Syrup Cruet c. 1942

Edward L. Loper created this watercolour, Syrup Cruet, sometime during the twentieth century. It’s such a warm and lovely painting of a commonplace object. I love the way the paint is layered, letting the tones peek through like the different flavours in a complicated syrup. You can almost taste the burnt sugar, can’t you? Loper uses the translucence of the watercolor to give the cruet depth, even though the form itself is quite simple. See how the copper is not just one flat colour, but a combination of earthy reds and browns, and the cool blues in the seams? It's like he's showing us the cruet aging, as if painting time itself. That little green patch at the bottom corner really catches my eye. It's a tiny detail, but it adds a sense of depth and realism, as if we’re looking at a real object that’s been used, weathered, and loved. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi, but with a warmer palette. Both were masters at turning everyday objects into something profound. It's a testament to the power of painting, isn't it? How something so ordinary can become so beautiful, and how, like syrup, meaning can be added, layer upon layer.