American Pewter Kerfoot c. 1936

Henry Meyers made this drawing, American Pewter Kerfoot, using graphite or pencil, we’re not told exactly, but I think that’s part of the point. There’s a real tenderness and precision to the mark-making. The spoons are rendered with this loving attention. It’s almost forensic, like a police sketch, but for spoons. The lines feel almost tentative, like Meyers is feeling his way around these objects, exploring their forms. Look at the way he’s shaded the bowl of the spoon on the right, it’s like he’s trying to capture the way light plays on the surface of the metal. And then there's the texture he’s created on the handle, it’s so delicate, it’s like he’s trying to capture the feeling of holding it in your hand. It makes me think of Morandi, who also made a career out of depicting humble, everyday objects with the same quiet intensity. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to be loud or bombastic. Sometimes, the most profound things can be found in the simplest of forms.