Stoneware Jug c. 1937

Arthur Mathews made this watercolor of a stoneware jug sometime in the 20th century. The palette is muted, almost monochromatic, focusing on light and shadow to give volume to the simple jug. Look closely, and you’ll notice the thin washes of color, like the palest coffee, and the way Mathews lets the paper breathe through. There is something deeply satisfying in the gradients, like a landscape in themselves. Then, these sharp blue accents. This whole piece is like a dance between precision and chance. Notice how the artist carefully outlined the jug and then seems to let the watercolor do its own thing. The blue bird, perched jauntily, feels almost like a cheeky wink. It reminds me of other artists who embraced ordinary objects, like Giorgio Morandi with his bottles, but the color feels closer to James Castle's untrained hand. This piece is really about the unexpected beauty that emerges when we pay attention to the everyday. It’s about trusting the process, letting the materials lead, and finding poetry in the mundane.