Pistol c. 1941

Albert Rudin made this drawing of a pistol, rendered in watercolor on paper. I can just picture him now, squinting at the pistol from his vantage point, trying to capture all the details. The gun has a dark, serious quality about it, with its brown handle and dull metal accents. Rudin, I imagine, was fascinated by the interplay of light and shadow on the metallic surfaces, carefully layering his watercolors to create a sense of depth. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, the way he obsessed over bottles and still life objects, returning to them again and again. Similarly, Rudin gives the gun the same contemplative treatment, transforming it into something more than just a weapon. Maybe Rudin was interested in the form? The potential energy of the object? It's kind of beautiful. Artists are always looking at each other, borrowing ideas, and responding to what has come before. And we are all constantly working to create something new, something that speaks to our experiences. Painting is a constant conversation that has no end.