Sugar Bowl 1935 - 1942

John Fisk, who lived from 1855 to 1995, made this drawing of a Sugar Bowl, and it’s all about process, right? It looks like he used washes of color to create a sense of depth and form. Check out the way Fisk handles the material, this watercolor is a thin, transparent wash. He shows us how light plays on the surface of the glass. The shadows around the base are particularly well observed. Look at the delicate, almost ghostly, figures around the middle of the bowl. They’re like half-formed memories or maybe reflections caught in the glass. I feel like these details make the piece so interesting. It reminds me a bit of some of Giorgio Morandi’s still life paintings, with their quiet, contemplative mood. Ultimately, this drawing invites us to slow down, to really look at the everyday objects around us, and to find beauty in the simplest of forms.