Silver Tankard c. 1936

Simon Weiss made this drawing of a silver tankard sometime between 1855 and 1995, using graphite on paper. Look at the way he's rendered the metallic sheen, the gentle gradations creating a sense of volume and light. I imagine Weiss hunched over his drawing board, squinting, trying to capture the exact curve of that handle, feeling the weight of the object in his mind, translating the three-dimensional world onto a flat surface. Think about his patient strokes, each line building up to create this illusion of depth and form. The way the graphite is layered, dense in some areas, lighter in others, it's almost like he's sculpting with shadows. And the handle, with its decorative flourish, it makes me think of the craftsperson who made the original tankard, their skill and artistry echoing through time. Weiss and the silversmith were in conversation through time, their creative energies intertwined. Making art is all about the conversation.