Vase c. 1936

Nicholas Amantea made this drawing of a vase with graphite and watercolor wash. The light palette gives it a hushed, almost ethereal quality. It's like he's trying to capture not just the object, but its essence. Look closely and you'll see the texture he creates with the repetitive marks. The graphite gives a subtle shimmer, while the watercolor wash softens the whole image. It's this tension between precision and fluidity that really grabs me. There is something about the way Amantea renders this object, the small lines which create the diamond pattern on the body of the vase, like he is building up this object from scratch. This reminds me a bit of Alfred Jensen, with the way he broke down the image into repeated marks. But in the end this vase stands alone, a quiet, contemplative piece that invites us to slow down and really look.