Andiron (one of pair) c. 1939

This drawing of an andiron, one of a pair, was made by Maurice Van Felix, sometime between 1855 and 1995. I love the way it stands—so upright and proud in its sturdy construction. I imagine Van Felix circling this thing, trying to capture it in pencil, and then giving up on perfection. Instead, just letting his hand wander around its form. There's a real honesty in these lines. The rough edges, the imperfect curves, the way the light catches the metal, all suggest the physicality and weight of iron. It's a dance between the artist, the object, and the paper. You can almost feel the heat emanating from it. I bet Van Felix, like all artists, was thinking about how other artists had represented similar objects. What would Manet or Morandi have made of it? Artists borrow and steal from one another; we’re always in conversation, trying to outdo or pay homage to our predecessors.