Pitcher c. 1940

Janet Riza made this watercolor on paper. Looking at this quiet jug, I imagine Riza carefully considering the light as it fell on the object, paying particular attention to the delicate shadows. The simple palette of grays and whites gives it a subdued, almost ghostly presence. It's as if the pitcher is caught in a moment of stillness, a quiet reflection on the everyday object. I think of Chardin, the 18th-century French painter, who elevated humble objects through his attentive gaze. Riza does something similar here, inviting us to pause and appreciate the simple beauty of the pitcher. As a painter, I’m drawn to the soft gradations of tone and the way the artist captured the texture of the object with such gentle strokes. It reminds me that painting is a conversation across time, an ongoing exploration of how we see and interpret the world around us. There is no one way to paint a jug.