Blacksmith's Measuring Wheel c. 1939

Edward Loper made this painting of a Blacksmith's Measuring Wheel. The tan background hints at paper as the support and grounds the more interesting textures and colors in the wheel and handle. There is a softness, but not in a sentimental way, more like an honest directness that lets the object speak for itself. Loper’s approach is to really look at the world around him, and this simple tool sings with the careful attention he gives it. If you look closely, you can see how the subtle shift in tones and textures suggests the weight and feel of the worn wooden handle and rusty iron wheel. See where the handle has marks and pits? The wheel itself is elegantly spare and minimal and the off-centered axle is so awkward and clunky, it suggests the way it might turn. The painting reminds me of other artists who dedicated themselves to rendering objects like Morandi or the drawings of Hyman Bloom, artists who take humble subjects and make them profound.