Silver Snuff Box 1935 - 1942

Horace Reina made this drawing of a silver snuff box, we're not sure exactly when, using graphite and colored pencil on paper. Look at the way he's built up the image with these soft, tentative lines. It's not about perfection, but about exploring the form and texture of the object. The colors here are muted, almost ghostly – a pale green and silver that gives the whole thing a dreamlike quality. The surface is smooth, and the pencil strokes are delicate. It’s interesting to note how he's captured the light reflecting off the silver. The wrestling scene on the box is rendered in such detail, with each figure’s muscles defined, a sense of tension and struggle. Reina's drawing reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi, in the way he elevates everyday objects to something almost sacred. Both artists share a similar sensibility, finding beauty in the mundane and exploring the subtle nuances of light and shadow. In this work we find a quiet meditation on form and the act of seeing itself.