Pewter Teapot c. 1936

Curator: Before us, we have Samuel O. Klein’s graphite drawing titled “Pewter Teapot,” dating to about 1936. It's a beautiful example of observation. Editor: My initial impression is one of quiet domesticity, there’s something soothing about the precise, silvery rendering. Curator: The artist clearly wants us to understand the craftsmanship inherent in its construction. Note how the varying gradations in the graphite delineate each section of the teapot. It highlights both its function as a means for pouring hot liquid, but it seems it’s the structure itself the artist is interested in. Editor: Precisely! It's evocative of a particular era, that pre-war sense of idealized home life. The teapot is a very specific cultural symbol of civility and comfort. Curator: Though drawing the teapot seems to be simply a means to work out visual or spatial concerns, don't you think? You could say he’s engaging in the art of seeing more than anything else. He seems preoccupied by a study of form. Editor: I can see your point about visual engagement, and you are likely correct; yet, by choosing this very familiar vessel, Klein infuses a simple still-life exercise with historical meaning, consciously or otherwise. Every object has stories. The teapot as a site of feminine control, for example. Curator: Perhaps he also thought pewter itself was a more visually enticing medium. And a useful piece to keep as model! Consider how challenging it is to capture the luster, density, and curves of metal convincingly with just a pencil. He seems to push against the simple description by highlighting through shading what a manufactured item contains and makes possible. Editor: The drawing acts like a vessel itself, holding a moment in time, and all of the complex social relations attached to it. Whether intentionally or unconsciously, artists transmit these codes. Curator: And Samuel O. Klein captures a specific code perfectly in this still life! I learned so much just pondering what pewter might have meant to the artist. Editor: Absolutely, considering that we can approach an artifact from its pure visual aspect but eventually acknowledge what is so familiar with our own existence. Thank you, as always, for lending clarity, context, and a historical understanding to such beautiful craftsmanship!