Cream Pitcher c. 1936

Nicholas Amantea made this drawing of a cream pitcher sometime in the 20th century. It's like he was exploring the textures and details of the pitcher through a kind of patient looking. Look at how the light catches the curves of the handle and the way the patterns wrap around the body. The rendering is so careful, yet the overall feeling is very loose and relaxed. I'm drawn to the way the light sort of pools on the lip and handle, creating soft transitions. And those little flower-like shapes arranged in a grid have such a satisfying rhythm. This piece reminds me a bit of Morandi, who also spent his career looking at the subtle variations in mundane objects. Both artists show us how much there is to see when we really pay attention. Art is never really finished, it’s more like an ongoing conversation.