Hand Drawn Guadalupe in Tin Form c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this watercolour of a Hand Drawn Guadalupe in Tin Form sometime between 1893 and 1941. Look at the way the the artist has used really delicate washes of colour, almost as if she's tracing the way light falls on the tin. I love the way that Claflin is able to create depth and form with such a minimal palette. Notice the way she uses texture – you can almost feel the coolness of the metal, the smoothness of the painted surface, and the softness of the fabric. The little dots create a tactile quality, transforming the tin into something almost organic. It reminds me of the way Giotto used lead white to create this kind of surface in his paintings. Ultimately, the painting is less about the objects themselves, and more about the way we see and experience them. Like all good art, it opens up a space for reflection and contemplation.