Andiron 1935 - 1942

Jack Staloff made this drawing of an andiron, and the first thing I notice are the soft graphite marks and how carefully he’s captured the light. I can almost feel him squinting, trying to get the proportions just right. You know, sometimes drawing an object over and over is a kind of meditation, like a still life that breathes. Staloff probably felt the weight of the metal, its history. Maybe he even imagined the fires it once held, the stories it could tell. The whole composition feels sturdy, grounded, like it could hold up anything you put on top of it. I see a connection between this andiron and the work of artists like Giorgio Morandi, who found endless inspiration in simple, everyday objects. Staloff and Morandi remind us that art isn't always about grand gestures, but about finding beauty and meaning in the quiet corners of our lives.