Crock c. 1938

Yolande Delasser made this watercolor painting of a Crock, though we don’t know exactly when. Delasser has paid close attention to the light as it hits the crock, and given us a beautiful range of tans, greys, and browns, which she has offset with the cobalt blue floral design. It reminds me a little of the work of Giorgio Morandi, who spent his career exploring the relationships between simple vases and bottles. You can imagine Delasser’s intense concentration as she paints, trying to capture the simple elegance of this utilitarian object. I wonder if Delasser saw the crock as a kind of blank canvas, an opportunity to create a more permanent work of art. I imagine the subtle color variations that Delasser has achieved in her painting, blending various hues to make something that is more interesting than just representation. It’s an image that shows the beauty in the everyday.