Parian Ware Tie Back c. 1938

Richard Barnett made this watercolor drawing of a Parian Ware Tie Back, but when? The blue and white decorative object floats on a pale ground, along with a schematic technical drawing of the same thing. I can imagine Barnett moving back and forth between the precision of the diagrammatic drawing and the freer execution of the more ‘artistic’ rendering. The blue is applied in such a way that it pools at the edges, creating a delicate sense of depth. I can feel the artist, brush in hand, making tiny adjustments, coaxing the image into being. What was he thinking about when he made this? Was it a labor of love, or just a job? It kind of reminds me of some of the decorative patterns in Hilma af Klint's work, or maybe even some of those beautiful botanical illustrations that were so popular in the 19th century. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, you know? Each one riffing off the others, building on what came before, and it is this conversation through time that can inspire creativity.