Caulfield’s work increased in the complication of imagery in the 1970’s culminating in this work which was certainly the most ambitious print he ever produced making considerable demands on the Master Printer, Chris Prater at Kelpra Studios.
Water Jug is a screenprint featuring a stylised representation of a jug set against a dark blue-grey background. The bottom section of the jug’s body, as well as the outline of its upper portion, neck and lip, are all depicted in black. The left side of the black rim is especially thick, possibly indicating a shadow or a broader section of the object. A white shape in the top-left may denote a handle, although this white section continues onto the body of the jug, potentially suggesting a patch of bright light or a part of the object’s surface decoration. At the top-right of the jug’s body is a curved, bright blue triangle that extends in a thin line up the jug’s neck to its lip. The rest of the vessel is represented using the same dark blue-grey that comprises the background of the print. The image is surrounded by a pale grey border, which is thicker along the bottom and top of the work. Inscribed in pencil in the bottom-right of this border is the artist’s signature