Silver Sugar Tongs c. 1936

Suzanne Roy made this drawing of silver sugar tongs sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. Look closely, and you’ll see the subtle gradations of tone she achieved with her pencil—so delicate, almost like breath. I can imagine her, head bent over the page, carefully observing how light reflects on the metal. The little leaf-like shapes, marching in a line! What a gentle, sweet way of rendering ornament! The surface of the paper seems untouched in places, almost as if the object emerged out of the whiteness. What I find so compelling is how she’s taken something quite ordinary, like a pair of sugar tongs, and transformed it into an object of contemplation. Roy’s image reminds me of the quiet beauty we can find in everyday objects and the joy of looking closely. Artists see each other’s work, respond to each other and keep the conversation going.