Foot Stove c. 1937

Wilbur M Rice made this ink drawing of a foot stove some time during his lifetime, from 1909 to 1974. What strikes me is the all-overness of it, the way every bit of surface is activated, worked, and tooled with incredible precision. The drawing is all about surface, isn't it? Look at how Rice renders the texture of the metal, the way the light catches on each curve and flourish. There's a real love for the physicality of the stove coming through, a kind of obsessive attention to detail that borders on the devotional. I find it in the fluted lines of its legs and in the small, almost hidden details along the top. The light and shadow are rendered with such care; each mark feels deliberate, chosen to bring out the object’s volume and texture. Looking at this drawing, I’m reminded of the drawings of H.C. Westermann, particularly in the way both artists manage to imbue everyday objects with a strange, almost mystical quality through sheer obsessive rendering. The foot stove is more than an object; it’s a testament to the power of seeing and the possibilities of rendering.