Covered Compote c. 1936

John Dana created this watercolor, "Covered Compote", showing a covered glass dish, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. During this era, industrialization allowed glass items to be made at a lower cost, increasing their availability for home use. Glassware became more common on dining tables as a result, and its presence reflected middle-class and upper-class status. Dana’s choice to depict this everyday object invites reflection on the significance of domestic rituals and the subtle ways in which personal identity is expressed through material culture. The compote, a vessel for fruit or sweets, might suggest an idealized vision of home life, but Dana's rendering of the object complicates any simplistic notions of domestic bliss. He challenges the traditional art historical hierarchy that places paintings above decorative objects, and invites us to consider the politics of taste and value embedded in the design of everyday items. We might ask ourselves what narratives these objects carry, and how they shape our understanding of ourselves and society.