Drawer Pull c. 1941

Editor: So, this is Helen Bronson's "Drawer Pull" from around 1941; it appears to be a drawing, perhaps in pencil or a similar medium, of a metal drawer pull. What immediately strikes me is its ornate detail - almost baroque. It’s making me think about the elegance of everyday objects. What captures your attention in this drawing? Curator: Well, the drawing breathes life into something often overlooked. I find it fascinating that Bronson chose such a humble object, imbuing it with a sort of…quiet nobility. It makes me think, doesn’t it, about the beauty hiding in plain sight. Does the detail almost become its own abstract design? Editor: Definitely. It’s as if the drawing is elevating the drawer pull to the status of art itself, transforming it from merely functional to beautiful. Curator: Precisely! I almost wonder, was it perhaps a comment on mass production, the artist elevating handmade items in the machine age? Is that aging bronze starting to feel very precious now? Editor: Yes! Now I’m thinking about the artistry inherent in design. That, plus how an artwork can change our perception of the ordinary, something so practical, something so beautiful. Thank you! Curator: Absolutely! Perhaps seeing the artfulness within our surroundings is more precious than any drawing.