Artwork
The Jar
The Jar is a photographic photography by Amleto Cataldi. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a black‑and‑white photograph depicting a modest sculpture of a crouching figure holding a shallow bowl.
About this work
Overview
The work is a black‑and‑white photograph depicting a modest sculpture of a crouching figure holding a shallow bowl. The image is mounted on a green cardboard backing and presents the figure in a balanced yet slightly awkward pose, with a smooth, unadorned surface and a heavy‑looking bowl resting on the knee.
Subject & Meaning
The sculptural subject appears to be a solitary human form engaged in a moment of everyday activity, suggested by the act of holding a bowl. The composition captures a fleeting gesture, emphasizing the tension between stillness and motion without narrative embellishment.
Technique & Style
The photograph is rendered in monochrome, employing straightforward lighting that avoids dramatic chiaroscuro. The plain presentation focuses attention on the sculpture’s form and the subtle interplay of line and volume, rather than on atmospheric effects.
History & Provenance
The image entered the collection through the 1938 bequest of William Kineton Parkes, a novelist, art historian, and librarian noted for his scholarship on sculpture. Parkes acquired the photograph as part of a series of responses to questionnaires he sent to sculptors in the 1920s; related correspondence is now housed in the Archive of Art and Design.
Context
The photograph belongs to a broader research project undertaken by Parkes to document contemporary sculptural practice. It represents one of many visual records collected to accompany written answers from artists, providing a visual complement to the archival material.
Artist & collection
Artist
Amleto Cataldi was an Italian sculptor. His work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
