Bull's Eye Lamp 1936

This "Bull's Eye Lamp" was made as a drawing on paper by Charles Charon. There’s something so earnest and straightforward about the way Charon renders this lamp, isn’t there? The graphite is applied with a delicate touch, but it builds up to create a sense of volume. He is using the grey of the graphite to capture the light as it hits the curves of the lamp. I’m particularly drawn to the base. Look at how Charon uses tiny, almost imperceptible lines to model the form. It is like he is trying to coax the object into existence through sheer force of observation. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi’s still lifes, you know? That same quiet dedication to capturing the essence of an object through subtle gradations of tone. Both Morandi and Charon show us that art doesn't need to shout. Sometimes, it whispers.