Goblet c. 1938

Curator: Welcome. Here we see a pencil drawing entitled "Goblet," created around 1938 by Edward White. Editor: At first glance, it feels so serene, almost like a meditative exercise in rendering light and shadow. There's a quietness, a stillness, that makes me want to pause and breathe. Curator: It is quite meticulously crafted. White has taken a very common, everyday object and elevated it, immortalizing it in a way. Do you notice anything specific about the goblet itself? Editor: Well, there's something fascinating about the inclusion of what appears to be an etched fern inside. It makes you wonder what stories that glass could tell, who might have raised it in a toast. Also, these faint black specks scattered across the background add an extra layer of depth... I feel like I'm stargazing while staring at the glass, you know? Curator: An intriguing observation. Edward White was actively working at the Bausch and Lomb Optical Company around this time. He eventually became head of the company's illustration department. This technical background likely explains the precision in his depiction here. Think about his day job showing off lenses through advertising - in the public eye - that he applied so rigorously in private too. Editor: So it’s almost like he’s showcasing his own lens here - what an idea! I'm getting a sense for his deep satisfaction, almost a kind of glee, in understanding and recreating something of such complexity with just his pencils. I find the simple things sometimes the best: this has turned me on my head in many different directions, it feels limitless. Curator: Indeed, and it reveals a side to White, removed from the pressures and obligations of the corporate marketing strategies of his job, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely, I leave having gained so much from something that once felt to me very small, or quiet.