China Plate c. 1937

Geoffrey Holt made this watercolour of a china plate, and another view of it, at some point in the 20th century. I love the casualness of the application, the way the watercolour bleeds out to create soft edges. You can really feel the process here, the way the paint moves and settles. I'm drawn to the colour: that delicate, faded purple. The way it’s dabbed on, sort of haphazardly, around the rim of the plate. It's such a simple gesture but it brings a lot of life to the piece. The washes of grey watercolour create shadows to give the illusion of depth, but the plate remains resolutely flat. This reminds me of the work of Giorgio Morandi, another artist who dedicated his life to depicting simple, everyday objects. Both artists seem to find endless possibilities for exploration within the confines of their chosen subject matter, reminding us that art is often about the questions we ask rather than the answers we provide.