Decanter c. 1938

Curator: This drawing, simply titled "Decanter," dates back to around 1938, a work rendered in pencil by Charles Caseau. Quite a straightforward presentation, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Strikingly still, isn't it? I sense an aura of quiet, almost contemplative observation. The simplicity, or rather the stripped-down quality, puts the very idea of a decanter under consideration. It becomes an archetype. Curator: I appreciate that, the ‘archetype’ angle. Let’s dig a little deeper into the formal language here. Note the insistent repetition of the star motif; you see it mirrored in the base and the stopper, almost obsessively. Also the parallel straight lines above. The rendering seeks perfect symmetry, a play of light and shadow to simulate volume... what does it conjure for you? Editor: I see the symmetry attempting balance, and mostly succeeding! What springs to my mind, unexpectedly, is this odd collision of rigid design alongside such painstaking handcraft. And I feel torn. The object feels both incredibly present in its real-ness, and like an apparition, fading into time. Curator: It's true the interplay between meticulous detail and spectral presence keeps it in motion. But consider this tension a conscious, deeply refined choice by Caseau to celebrate a mundane yet valuable thing. What’s a vessel but a metaphor, after all? The empty interior becomes potential, not a void, waiting to be fulfilled. Editor: True, you could also see that waiting in terms of human relationships as an idea of readiness... like that moment before a toast! It has an unusual human echo for such a pristine, constructed form. Maybe that is where the real weight comes from, knowing this thing implies conversation, closeness, or maybe celebration of simple company? Curator: Precisely! A subtle nudge towards the communal, a gentle prodding of what a drawn world might become through sharing... Thanks to Caseau's work, it also challenges us to reassess the value we ascribe to the everyday object, and how much artistic and societal substance is involved within. Editor: Beautifully put. This deep dive definitely altered how I felt approaching Caseau’s piece. Thanks for sharing your insights!