Desk c. 1940

This drawing of a desk was made by Peter C. Ustinoff using what looks like graphite or maybe ink wash on paper. I am drawn to the tonal variation Ustinoff achieves with a limited palette. Look at the doors on the upper section, you can see how the artist uses the grain of the wood, or his depiction of it, to create these almost graphic vertical stripes which are so satisfying to the eye. There is a real emphasis on the material quality of the desk, the artist's hand isn't concealed, and this lends the drawing a certain honesty. It doesn't have to try too hard. The eye is drawn to the signature in the bottom right of the composition, it looks like a woodcut somehow, despite being on paper. It reminds me of some of the drawings of furniture by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who had a similar dedication to simple materials and clean, elegant lines. The piece invites you to see the beauty in everyday objects.