Flask c. 1941

This is Chris Makrenos’s Flask, made with watercolor on paper. Look how softly the washes of blue and green blend together to evoke the glass of this strange flask. The way Makrenos captures the light, gives the bottle a kind of ghostlike presence, like an apparition from another time. The eagle design on the bottle is rendered with such care. It's hard to tell what kind of brush strokes he used here, everything is so smooth and delicate. It's not just about painting a bottle; it’s about the feeling of something precious and fragile, preserved in time. For me, this piece speaks to the magic of everyday objects, the stories they hold, and the way art can bring them to life. It reminds me of the quiet still lifes of Giorgio Morandi, where simple bottles become vessels of profound contemplation.