Silver Sugar Bowl c. 1936

This drawing of a sugar bowl was made by Simon Weiss. It’s just pencil on paper, but look how he’s conjured up this kind of solid, gleaming thing! What interests me here is how a drawing gives a sense of three-dimensionality. See how the tone of the pencil varies across the surface? It’s darker underneath, lighter up top, giving a sense of the way light catches on the silver. Notice, also, how the curves are described with gentle gradations of shade. Then there’s that monogram in the middle. The whole thing feels so precise, but look closer: the lines wiggle and wobble a little! It’s a drawing that feels like a real, but softened, thing. You know who else does this kind of thing really well? Giorgio Morandi. Both artists are interested in simple objects, rendering them with subtle shades and tones. But while Morandi is all about the overall composition, Weiss is more about getting the shape right. Anyway, what do I know? Maybe it was the other way around!