Cheese Pot c. 1940

Frank Fumagalli made this 'Cheese Pot' using what looks like delicate brushstrokes. I imagine him, brush in hand, gently coaxing the image into being. There’s something so earnest and quietly beautiful about this pot. You know, it kind of reminds me of Morandi’s paintings. He would focus on a few bottles, cans, or boxes and paint them over and over in a way that wasn’t just about what they looked like. It was like he was trying to figure out what they *felt* like. And I think Fumagalli is doing something similar here. He is creating a humble tribute to something really ordinary. I imagine that perhaps someone asked him to paint it, or it was part of a series. Either way, it’s a very calm and collected little painting.