Sugar Bowl c. 1936

John Dana painted this sugar bowl, likely in watercolor, sometime between 1855 and 1995. The way Dana uses these thin washes of pale blue makes the object seem both present and ethereal. It’s like he's trying to capture not just how the sugar bowl looks, but how light moves through it. The delicate brushstrokes give the bowl a subtle, almost fragile quality. Dana varies the color and tone, creating a sense of depth and volume. Look at the way he renders the decorative elements on the bowl's surface, each curve and undulation described with a soft, fluid line. There's a real sense of the hand in this work, a kind of intimate touch that reminds you that art-making is about process. This piece feels like a quiet conversation with artists like Giorgio Morandi, who also explored the beauty of everyday objects. It’s a reminder that art can be found in the simplest of things if we take the time to look closely.