Pewter Tankard c. 1936

Henry Meyers made this drawing of a pewter tankard with graphite on paper. Just look at how he captures the way light plays across the surface of the metal. It’s like he's not just drawing an object, but also the very idea of light itself! There’s something so appealing to me in this meticulous attention to detail. See how the shading is built up, layer by layer, creating a sense of depth and weight. Look at that handle, so ornate and inviting. It’s not just a handle; it’s a gesture, an invitation to pick it up, to feel its heft in your hand. The surrounding technical drawings showing different views of the tankard remind me of preparatory sketches, a glimpse into the artist's process. It reminds me of the work of the German artist, Hans Holbein. He was a master of capturing the textures and surfaces of objects, and he had a similar kind of dedication to realism, to making things look so solid you want to reach out and touch them. What do you think?