Silver Spoon c. 1936

Charlotte Winter made this drawing of a silver spoon at some point between 1855 and 1995. Though rendered in graphite on paper, the subject is of course the lustrous metal, silver. Considered across cultures as precious, silver objects are produced through mining, smelting, and a silversmith’s expert manipulation. Silver’s value resides not only in its rarity and workability, but in its resistance to oxidation, and capacity to take a high polish. The depicted spoon has a bright sheen thanks to the artist’s masterful use of line and shadow. With her careful attention to detail and the inclusion of technical drawings, Winter elevates the spoon as an object of design. But the spoon also speaks to issues of class, labor, and consumption. Whose labor was involved in the making of the original spoon? And for whom was it made? Silver flatware has long been a signifier of wealth and taste, and access to it a sign of privilege. This drawing reminds us that even the most functional objects carry layers of social and cultural meaning.