James F. Sowter, Sunset Over Choppy Sea, Trompe L'Oeil Watercolor, 1907 MoMA catalogue green and blue

green and blue

Created in 1903 as a lark among three writer/artist/architect friends (Oliver Herford

including both antique and contemporary decor

The bowl measures 4

and for keeping on the kitchen counter the rest of the time holding fruit or whatever else (really pretty filled with lemons

James F. Sowter, Sunset Over Choppy Sea, Trompe L'Oeil Watercolor, 1907 MoMA catalogue green and blueI love most anything trompe l'oeil but especially one achieved with such a small and simple gesture as this one, which gives the lovely little British seascape a clever twist. The seascape watercolor was actually cut out and mounted to the backing paper, with frame then painted around it, which adds another layer i. e., was the illusionistic turned corner at the top left corner and pin at lower left a later addition, or was the seascape always