Pewter Coffee Pot c. 1936

Beulah Bradleigh made this study of a pewter coffee pot in watercolour. I can almost see her painting it, carefully brushing the paper to capture the object's cool light and metallic sheen. Bradleigh coaxes out the reflective surface and softly rounded volumes with these delicate washes of blues and greys. There is a softness and fluidity to her approach, so unlike the sharp edges of Cubism, for instance. Perhaps she worked alla prima, wet-on-wet, giving the colours a chance to blend and bleed into each other? It’s amazing to see how a simple gesture can evoke such depth. The gentle curving strokes on the pot create the illusion of form and volume, suggesting that the vessel could contain something, coffee maybe? I bet Bradleigh admired the still life paintings of Chardin, taking cues on how to animate everyday objects with light and colour. And that little flourish on the handle – isn't that just the cutest?