Silver Caster c. 1938

Hester Duany made this drawing of a silver caster with what looks like graphite on paper. It’s a quiet piece, almost ghostly, with soft gradations giving shape to this little container. Look closely, and you'll see how Duany uses the paper itself as a kind of middle tone, building darker areas to create the form. The caster seems to glow, and it's easy to get lost in the reflections on its surface. The handle, with its elegant curve, is rendered so delicately that it feels almost weightless. The little pinprick holes at the top feel like a constellation. It’s as if the artist is trying to capture not just the object, but the light and air around it. This drawing reminds me a bit of the still lifes of Giorgio Morandi. Like him, Duany finds something magical in the mundane, elevating an everyday object to something worthy of contemplation. It’s a reminder that art is often about seeing the world anew, finding beauty in unexpected places.