"Liberty" Bottle 1935 - 1942

Maud M. Holme made this image of a green glass bottle, titled "Liberty". The brushwork is tight but not labored, allowing the paint to be luminous and jewel-like, which adds to its charm. I love the way the green glows and pools, it reminds me of the way that Milton Avery used to make color feel like weather. The whole image seems to breathe, like the glass is actually filled with liquid. The eagle and shield are right there on the surface, but they are also slightly obscured by the paint, inviting us to look more closely. I think Holme would have loved Avery, though this also reminds me of some of Joseph Stella’s early abstractions. It's almost like a secret language passed between artists across time. It's nice to think that Holme is now part of the conversation, a voice from the past who still has something to say.