Pewter Sugar Bowl c. 1937

Harry Goodman created this drawing of a pewter sugar bowl, with unknown date. It appears to be made with graphite on paper. Here, the burnished surface of the pewter is evoked through the gradations of shading. Pewter, an alloy of tin, was commonly used for tableware, precisely because it was cheaper and easier to work than silver. A skilled metalworker could raise and hammer it into complex forms. Though we cannot see the original object, the drawing captures the sugar bowl's overall form, including its handles, lid, and decorative details. While this drawing might seem to merely depict a domestic object, it also reflects broader social dynamics. The availability of pewter tableware signaled the rise of a middle class, for whom affordable luxury was increasingly attainable. Through his attention to detail and material qualities, Goodman elevates the status of this everyday object, prompting us to consider the social and economic forces that shape our material world.