Fireplace Shovel c. 1942

Here we have Albert Geuppert’s drawing of a fireplace shovel. It’s all soft graphite greys, rust and smoke colours on off-white paper. It makes you think about the life of objects. Geuppert is rendering something very simple, a humble tool for the home. I imagine him looking hard and trying to understand it. Does he want to show us the form or the function? You can tell that the shovel is really old, and has been through something. It’s got the marks and scars of use, which Geuppert captures so well. The handle is long and narrow, and ends in a double swirl. It’s kind of cute, like a little heart. I can imagine Geuppert thinking about the shape of the shovel, and how it fits in your hand. It's almost like a portrait, and not just a still life. It’s amazing how he turned something so everyday into something so poetic. And it makes me think about all the artists who came before him, painting everyday objects. They're all talking to each other across time, inspiring each other, and passing on the tradition of looking closely at the world around us.