Silver Creamer c. 1937

Matthew Mangiacotti made this “Silver Creamer” sometime in the 20th century. I love the process here. The rendering of the pitcher is precise but the setting of the image is wonky! We've got a very carefully shaded silver pitcher, front and center, with a monogram. But then, off to the side, there's a casual sketch of the same pitcher, complete with measurements, as if it were a technical drawing. The silver is luminous, a careful gradation from dark to light, smooth as silk. But the sketch alongside it, that's something else entirely, like a whisper of a memory. It reminds me that art doesn’t have to be one thing or another. It can be serious and playful, detailed and rough, all at the same time. Think of someone like Giorgio Morandi, who made a career out of simple still lifes, but always with a touch of the unexpected.