Creamer c. 1937

Joseph Sudek made this drawing of a creamer, we don't know when, but it's rendered with soft, delicate marks. The palette is so gentle, really whispering to us. You can tell it was made through a gradual process, built up one little touch at a time. The surface has an almost translucent quality. It feels very light, not labored. Look closely, and you can see a subtle dance between the grey shadows that give shape to the vase and the pale pink of the painted rose. The rose itself feels slightly clumsy and tentative, in contrast to the smooth sheen of the vase. This is where the magic happens. Think of Giorgio Morandi’s still life paintings. Both artists transform humble, everyday objects into something really special. There are no fixed meanings, just a lot of room to think.