Bowl c. 1941

Van Silvay made this watercolour drawing of a bowl at some point in the 20th century. While we can appreciate the artist’s talent in capturing the bowl’s form and delicate, swirling patterns, it’s also worth considering what this image tells us about the world it came from. Silvay’s artistic career unfolded during a period of significant transformation in the art world. The rise of modernism prompted artists to explore new subjects and styles, often breaking away from traditional academic conventions. Given that Silvay lived until 1995, it would be interesting to know if there was an institutional affiliation, a school or a society, that encouraged watercolour painting of still life subjects. Exploring exhibition records, art journals, and biographical information about the artist might reveal the cultural values and artistic debates that shaped Silvay’s work and the reception of such images during this period. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.