Silver Bowl 1935 - 1942

Hester Duany made this drawing of a silver bowl on paper, but we don’t know when. It’s a delicate rendering with graphite, where the surface of the metal is described by different densities of shading. It's a study of light and form, but for me the most interesting thing about this piece is the way the pencil describes the shape. It’s almost as if the bowl is emerging from the paper, or perhaps slowly sinking back into it. Look closely at the way the shading is handled – it’s soft, almost velvety. The light appears to emanate from within the bowl itself. Then there’s that curious extra study of a handle in the top left, floating free of the bowl itself. It makes me think of Morandi, another artist who found endless possibilities in the humble still life. They both remind us that the most ordinary objects, when looked at with care, can reveal extraordinary things.