Drawer Pull c. 1936

Janet Riza made this drawing of a drawer pull. Just imagine the artist, maybe with a set of fine pencils, carefully rendering the details of this ordinary object. I can picture them, squinting, head tilted, trying to capture the nuances of light and shadow on the brass or gold surface. And what a task! To spend so long looking at a thing and trying to get it right - this is real dedication to the art of seeing! The lines are precise, almost architectural in their clarity. There is a sense of restraint and control, but also a kind of quiet pleasure in the act of observation. I bet Riza was really into what she was doing here, and that this simple drawing could really speak to the beauty and interest of the everyday. The artist's decision to focus on something so humble makes me think of other artists who find inspiration in the mundane, elevating the ordinary to something worthy of attention.