Strawberry Basket c. 1937

William Spiecker made this watercolor painting of a strawberry basket sometime in the 20th century. The way he's handled the paint, it's thin and washy, makes me think about the softness of the fruit itself. The color palette is earthy, mostly browns and tans, but there are subtle shifts in value and tone that really bring out the three-dimensional form. Look at the way he's rendered the individual slats of wood – you can almost feel the rough texture of the basket, like it's been weathered by the sun and rain. Spiecker pays close attention to detail, capturing the way the light hits the rim, the subtle variations in color across the surface, and even the tiny nails holding it all together. The shadows cast by the basket suggest a particular moment in time, when the sun was shining on the object. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, where everyday objects become almost monumental. Both artists seem to find beauty in the mundane, inviting us to slow down and appreciate the simple things.