Pitcher 1937

Ralph Atkinson made this design for a pitcher, probably on paper, using watercolor. It's all about seeing through things, right? The way he's layered the watercolor gives the glass this luminous quality, like you could reach out and feel its smooth, cool surface. There’s this tension between the clear, precise lines defining the pitcher's shape and the soft, blurry washes that give it depth. Notice how the light catches the edges, making them almost dissolve into the background. Look at the detail of the spout on the left, it's there almost like an afterthought, or an idea sketched in the margin. It reminds me a little of the still-life paintings of Giorgio Morandi, with their quiet contemplation of everyday objects. Like Morandi, Atkinson is making us look closely at something we might otherwise take for granted. It's a reminder that even the simplest things can be beautiful, if we take the time to really see them.