Pa. German Plate

This Pa. German Plate was painted by Paul Lauterbach, sometime around 1917, on what looks like a large, circular piece of tin. I love how Lauterbach embraced the smoothness of the tin, it's used as a ground for the shadowy darkness behind the bouquet. The paint application is thinned, giving it a transparent, watery quality, like a memory. If you look closely, you can see how the brushstrokes curve and swirl, following the shape of the plate, it's almost like the flowers are floating in a dreamscape. My eye is drawn to the cluster of pale flowers in the center. They are painted with such tenderness, each petal distinct yet part of a whole, and those dark shadows, make the whole thing feel like a secret. You can almost feel Lauterbach experimenting with color, letting the hues blend and bleed, creating a sense of depth. It makes me think of Morandi, and the way that he used a limited palette to create a world of subtle beauty and quiet contemplation. Art is such a conversation. It's about interpretation, and seeing things in your own way.