Center Table, with Marble Top c. 1937

Dana Bartlett made this drawing of a Center Table, with Marble Top, at some point in his life, probably with graphite and colored pencil on paper. It’s a tender image, the kind of thing that emerges from the quiet, repetitive act of looking and tracing. You can see the artist figuring out how to render the curves and edges of the ornate table leg. I can imagine Dana hunched over a drafting table, squinting at the real object, trying to get the proportions just right. Look at the grain of the wood, the subtle variations in tone, the way the light catches the marble top. The line is so delicate! It makes me think about other artists who have obsessed over everyday objects, like Giorgio Morandi with his bottles or Agnes Martin and her grids. They show us that there is something profound in the act of paying attention. Each of these lines is like a little breath, a little moment of connection between the artist and the world. They are all in conversation.