Potpourri Jar c. 1940

Frank M. Keane's 'Potpourri Jar' is a watercolor on paper, a delicate dance between the ephemeral and the tangible. The washes of color are like whispers, layered to create a sense of depth and light, which speaks to the artist's intimate engagement with the medium. Look closely, and you’ll see how the texture of the paper itself becomes part of the painting, grounding the ethereal quality of the translucent watercolor. The pink roses and gold flourishes appear to float on the surface of the jar, which is rendered with a ghostly, dreamlike quality. It reminds me of Charles Demuth’s flower paintings, but with a softer, more romantic touch. There’s a certain vulnerability to watercolor; it’s unforgiving, every stroke visible. Keane embraces this, allowing the fluidity of the paint to dictate the form. Art, after all, is an ongoing conversation, a fluid exchange of ideas across time, forever open to interpretation.