Silver Caster 1935 - 1942

Holger Hansen made this drawing of a silver caster, we don’t know exactly when, with what looks like graphite on paper. The artist is clearly working through close observation. It seems like he’s trying to capture how light glints off the surface. I am always struck by drawings that show a dedication to a particular object. Look at the way the light seems to cling to the curves of the handle! I love that Hansen is so committed to capturing the subtle tonal differences in the metal, it makes the object almost palpable, like you could reach out and touch it. The rest of the paper is left mostly untouched, which puts all the focus on the caster itself. This makes me think of Morandi, who also took humble objects and turned them into something monumental. Hansen seems to ask us to consider the beauty in the everyday, and the way we see is always a kind of interpretation.