Pitcher c. 1935

John Dana’s watercolor painting on paper, Pitcher, brings a sense of quiet observation to something we might ordinarily overlook. I can imagine John Dana standing in his studio, carefully observing the play of light on the pitcher. The translucent blue of the glass is rendered with delicate washes, while thin, dark lines delineate the form of the pitcher. There’s a real sense of patience in the meticulous rendering of the glass; you can almost feel the artist’s hand moving slowly, carefully, across the surface. It makes me think about other painters who explore the beauty of everyday objects like Giorgio Morandi and his still life paintings. Pitcher is more than just a representation of an object; it’s an invitation to slow down, to see the world with fresh eyes, and to appreciate the simple elegance of form and light. And that’s something we can all use a little more of, right?