Coffee Mill 1935 - 1942

Frank C. Barks created this image of a coffee mill with what looks like graphite and watercolor on paper. The colors are muted, a tight palette of browns, grays and creams, with slight variations within, but it's more or less monochrome. What strikes me about this is the precision of the rendering, where each line and shadow seems carefully placed. It’s meticulous, as if Barks is not just depicting the object, but also revealing its inner workings, and its place in the everyday. The wood grain is rendered with a beautiful attention to detail, and the shadows add depth and dimension. The turned handle, especially, gives a satisfying rhythm to the piece. It reminds me a little of the still life paintings of Giorgio Morandi, where humble objects are elevated through quiet contemplation, though where Morandi is all about texture and building up the paint, Barks is light and precise. Both suggest a quiet poetry, a world of seeing that invites a slower, more thoughtful experience.