Foot Warmer 1939

Carl Buergerniss made this drawing of a foot warmer, sometime in the early to mid 20th century. It’s rendered with such a careful, almost loving touch, that you can tell he’s really looking. The wooden frame is painted with many thin layers and delicate brushstrokes to create convincing shadows and the impression of depth. The metal panels are rendered with lots of tiny, regular marks that look just like the holes in the original object. You can almost feel the heat radiating out. It feels real. But it’s also kind of funny. Is he really making a drawing of a foot warmer? It’s so charming and earnest! It reminds me a little of those Shaker drawings, or some of the obsessive detail in the work of someone like Alfred Jensen. It makes you think about the love and care that goes into making things. And it makes you think about how looking at things can be a form of making.