Syrup Jug c. 1936

John Dana made this drawing of a syrup jug, probably in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. You can see the quiet, repeated marks of his pencil or brush, building up the form of the jug, and also the little botanical relief details that decorate the surface of the thing. I can imagine John Dana in his studio, trying to get it just right, thinking about volume and form. Maybe he took a break for a cup of tea or coffee. Did he imagine the jug filled with syrup and set on a breakfast table? Did he consider the way light might play across its surface, catching the edges of those carefully rendered leaves and flowers? The color in the drawing is creamy and subtle. The artist has rendered a few close-up details of the jug at different angles, maybe trying to work out the shape of it. It makes me think about how artists, even when depicting everyday objects, are really in conversation with one another, trading ideas and ways of seeing. Making art, whether it’s a quick sketch or a large painting, is always a leap into the unknown, a chance to discover something new about ourselves and the world around us.