Pewter Tankard 1935 - 1942

Editor: So this is "Pewter Tankard," a pencil drawing by Richard Schoene, dating from about 1935 to 1942. It's so meticulously rendered! What do you find particularly interesting about this work? Curator: Well, considering the period, the artist’s focus on a humble object like a pewter tankard speaks volumes. The '30s and '40s were turbulent times, so choosing to depict domestic objects—rather than, say, explicitly political subjects—could be seen as a form of quiet resistance or, perhaps, a longing for stability and normalcy. Do you notice the inclusion of the smaller, sketched tankard outline? Editor: I do, almost like a ghostly echo of the main image. I wonder why he included that? Curator: That might provide us with insights to the art's function; a study for a larger piece perhaps? Or, even, could it represent the rise of commercial art? Perhaps he planned on depicting several different views or using it to sell the image? The tankard, in its mundane function, contrasts sharply with the artistic skill applied. It almost elevates the everyday, doesn't it? Editor: It definitely does. I never would have considered it within a broader political context! So, you are suggesting the deliberate choice of such a simple object says something profound? Curator: Precisely! Especially when thinking about who typically had access to art and whose lives and possessions were deemed worthy of artistic representation. Do you find any commentary or reflection in the details the artist chose to depict? Editor: Thinking about it, maybe there's a bit of idealized simplicity there, almost a visual antidote to all the era's turmoil. This has made me think so much differently about it. Thanks! Curator: And your insights on the visual echo helped refine the possibilities. A deeper consideration enriches all art, doesn't it?