Silver Bowl 1935 - 1942

Louis Gersh made this drawing of a silver bowl. I imagine him carefully observing the object, translating its three-dimensional form onto the flat surface of the paper. What might Gersh have been thinking as he created this image? The way the pencil lines trace the contours of the bowl, trying to capture its sheen, make it look like he was very interested in how light plays across the surface of the silver, how the reflections warp and shift. Look how he includes a little drawing with measurements. I can imagine him trying to get it just right. The bowl is a functional object, but Gersh’s drawing transforms it into something more. It becomes an exercise in seeing, a meditation on form and light, and a testament to the artist’s careful observation. It’s like when other painters like Morandi painted the same bottle again and again, each time making it new. Artists are always in conversation with each other across time, looking, responding, and inspiring.