Sugar Bowl c. 1939

Henry Moran’s "Sugar Bowl" on paper makes me think about the everyday objects that inspire us. Look at the grays and blacks that define its shape, the subtle blend of washes. I imagine Moran thinking about the sugar bowl as a simple, pure, and somehow perfect form. I can almost feel the artist’s focus as they are creating, really seeing, and attempting to capture light as it hits this object. It feels like a conversation between the object and the artist, each informing the other. Painters are always looking at other painters, and I see some of the precision of artists like Giorgio Morandi, but also something unique to Moran. There’s a shared sensibility of artmaking that spans time. I really like how Moran is taking something from everyday life and inviting us to consider it, which I think is what art is all about.