Amber Vase c. 1937

Richard Taylor’s ‘Amber Vase’, its date unknown, presents a play between form and decoration using pencil. I can almost feel Taylor carefully layering those amber tones, watching the vase emerge from the flat paper through the patient accumulation of marks. It’s a humble method, pencil, but look how rich the results are. The amber feels almost translucent, contrasting with the decorative green foliage that sprouts around the vessel. What was Taylor thinking as he rendered each curve and line? Was he interested in the geometry of the vase or the dance of colors against each other? This vase has a lot of cousins, doesn’t it? Think of all the still lifes of vases that came before, and all those that followed. It’s like artists are forever trying to capture the essence of form and light. I feel like I could spend forever with the amber, trying to figure out how it was made. Isn't that the best thing about painting?