Sugar Bowl 1935 - 1942

Joseph Leboit made this drawing of a Sugar Bowl with pencil on paper. Look how Leboit uses light and shadow to create the object's form and volume. I can almost see him at work, squinting, head tilted, carefully plotting out the highlights and darks, trying to bring this object to life on the page. I wonder if he felt a kinship with the silversmiths and designers of the past who first conceived of such an object, because drawing like this is about more than just representation. It's about understanding the object, its history, its purpose, and the culture that produced it. Think about the subtle gradations of tone, the way he captures the sheen of metal. It's a quiet but assured piece of observation, and a testament to the simple, enduring power of drawing.