Plate c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Albert Eyth’s “Plate,” created around 1936, a design in watercolor and ceramic. It’s charming, almost folksy in its simplicity. What's fascinating to you about it? Curator: I’m struck by the persistence of floral motifs across cultures. This particular plate, with its pansy-like flower, speaks to me of domesticity, of carefully curated spaces within the home. Do you see how the artist positions the flower in the center, drawing all the visual weight towards it? It's almost a meditative point. Editor: Yes, definitely. It's very symmetrical, even calming. What do you make of the green design that surrounds it? Curator: That green border, with its repeating clover-like shapes, acts as a kind of protective charm, a ward against emptiness. Throughout history, green has signified growth, renewal. Think about medieval tapestries or even Roman mosaics; similar patterns function as both decoration and symbolic gesture. Have you noticed the plate itself almost acts as a microcosm, a contained garden? Editor: I see what you mean! I hadn’t thought about it in terms of historical symbols. Curator: Exactly! And consider that a plate, essentially a humble object for sustenance, is being elevated through art. It's transforming a functional item into something laden with cultural memory and personal meaning. What do you take away from it all? Editor: I will definitely think more deeply about the symbolism in everyday objects. The dialogue made me see the "Plate" by Eyth as more than just an illustration; it's like a garden of symbolic motifs meant for intimate appreciation.