Crock c. 1940

Isadore Goldberg made this drawing of a crock, probably with watercolor, ink and pencil, maybe in the early part of the twentieth century, and it's such a satisfyingly balanced composition. The mark making is so lovely, isn't it? He captures the essence of the ceramic crock with its rounded form and the handcrafted floral decoration. The indigo blue against the earthy beige paper gives a strong visual contrast, evoking a sense of traditional craftsmanship. Look at how he renders the floral motif, each petal and swirl carefully outlined and filled with varying densities of blue. The texture is smooth, but the layering of colour gives it depth. In the lower left there's a tendril of blue that curls out, away from the main pattern, that I think is just beautiful. It sort of breaks the implied symmetry of the whole thing. This reminds me of some drawings by Jim Nutt, maybe because of the simplicity of the color and the clear outline. Ultimately it makes me think about how artists find inspiration in everyday objects, transforming the mundane into something beautiful and worth contemplating.