Mustard Pot 1935 - 1942

This "Mustard Pot," was created by Michael Fenga, and looks like it was made with pencil or graphite on paper. It feels like an exercise in patience, doesn't it? Look at the cross-hatching, and the way it fades in and out of light and shadow. I can imagine the artist studying the play of light on the glass, meticulously rendering each facet, and each groove. They really commit to the tonal variation of a single colour, and aren't afraid to let the white of the page sing through. I wonder if Fenga was thinking about the texture of glass as he drew, trying to capture that smooth, cool feeling on paper. You get the sense they’re trying to understand something about form and light. It’s like he's whispering, "Look closely, there's beauty in the everyday."