Andiron (one of pair) c. 1938

Maurice Van Felix made this drawing of an andiron with pencil on paper. It's kind of beautiful, right? It’s the kind of drawing that makes you wonder about the artist’s concentration, how closely they were looking, and what that felt like. I try to imagine the artist, their breath, and the physical act of drawing, the soft drag of the graphite over the page, and how those smudges and subtle gradations are built up to create depth. The evenness of the light gives it a certain documentary feel, but it’s also got this quiet, contemplative mood. What does it mean to fix an image of something like this? Something so practical, so heavy, so much about fire. Looking at this drawing, I think about other artists who spend time drawing or painting objects, maybe the kind of things you would find around the house. It’s a way of slowing down, paying attention, and making something new out of something old.