Jar c. 1937

Curator: This watercolor and drawing by Charles Caseau, titled “Jar,” dates from about 1937. What’s your initial read? Editor: Well, immediately I'm struck by how… tactile it feels. I can almost feel the weight of this vessel, the slight roughness of its surface. There’s a strange intimacy in how it’s rendered. Curator: Indeed. The success here hinges on Caseau's masterful manipulation of tone. Note how the highlights, almost shimmering, define the volume while the graduated shadows ground it. The cylindrical form, defined by continuous lines, creates a cohesive and easily understandable visual language. Editor: Beyond that, though, consider the archetypal symbolism of the jar itself. Jars appear throughout myth and history – think Pandora’s Box, or the Canopic jars of ancient Egypt. It provokes thoughts about containment, secrets, and preservation. It evokes an interior space, psychological perhaps. Curator: An interesting reading. I am most struck by the compositional elements at play – the way Caseau frames this solitary object against the void, thereby heightening its monumentality. And that lip at the top—notice how it appears subtly damaged, as if weathered by time. Editor: Yes! That damage also resonates symbolically – fragility, impermanence. There’s a story here, even if we don’t know what it is. I also think the earth tones are incredibly powerful. Curator: Precisely. This limited palette enhances the structure by minimizing distractions. Note also the near symmetry that lends a monumental quality to the quotidian form, echoing ancient Greek pottery. Editor: Thinking of the earthy tones, I wonder, what was held inside? Did this jar hold sustenance or something else entirely? The vessel implies necessity, daily use... but with the slight wear and discoloration visible, one might perceive the potential displacement of purpose that shifts between the material world to the space of cultural memory. Curator: A wonderful encapsulation, inviting us to consider the simple jar as both a formal study and a profound reflection on time. Editor: Right, Caseau delivers us an ordinary vessel imbued with layered significations through time, and with lasting questions.