Pitcher c. 1938

Curator: I find this watercolor drawing quite intriguing. Titled "Pitcher," it was created by J.J. O'Neill around 1938. Editor: My first thought is "cozy." It's an autumnal, warm kind of feeling, isn't it? Almost comforting in its stillness. Curator: I agree. There’s a certain visual weight lent by the iconography, the spirals suggesting eternity, the foliage, almost Bacchic, speaking to revelry and perhaps abundance. Do you see the grotesque masks nestled amongst the scrolling leaf designs? Editor: Oh, yes, hiding just under the surface, quite literally embedded into the pitcher’s exterior! I’m curious about O'Neill's methods here. Watercolor allows a layering of colors and translucence. And those textures... Is it an actual study of an existing manufactured object? Curator: It likely is. Watercolors, because they were affordable and relatively simple to use, allowed design prototypes of utilitarian objects to be replicated in anticipation of distribution to a mass audience. The artist renders something of mundane domestic life almost sacred, even mythological through repetition of those symbolic designs, it lends this vessel significance. Editor: That interplay is exactly what holds my interest: the blurring of lines between the functional, reproducible object and the uniqueness, even aura, bestowed upon it by the artist's hand. And this play is reinforced through material and symbol choices. Brown is the color of earth and unglazed clay. Those twisting designs give the appearance of motion and fluidity, though the pitcher, itself, is a hard vessel. Curator: There’s a duality present. Something ancient depicted with what was probably cutting-edge design practices at the time, bringing old beliefs into modern life. I feel there is more going on with that integration, don’t you think? Editor: Definitely, especially since it's a relatively humble subject matter made complex and compelling, given our insight. Thanks for shedding light on this evocative design, so charged with meaning! Curator: Thank you for examining this quotidian vessel with an eye to its fascinating materiality!