Tie-back c. 1938

This drawing of a Tie-back was made by Harry Jennings, and it shows a hand holding some roses, all in these warm, earthy tones. I can imagine Jennings hunched over his desk, carefully building up the forms with layer upon layer of delicate pencil strokes. There's something very tender and tentative about the way he's rendered the object. The colors are muted, almost faded, which gives it a kind of antique feel. I can see the ghost of the object he was drawing, as he coaxes it to life on the page, a touch of yellow here, a hint of green there, each stroke building up the form slowly, tentatively. It makes me think about other artists who've taken everyday objects as their subjects, like Morandi with his bottles. There’s a quiet poetry in Jennings' work. And it’s all about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, finding beauty in the everyday.