Syrup Pitcher c. 1937

Grace Halpin made this drawing of a syrup pitcher with graphite on paper, but when? I imagine her hand moving slowly, methodically, across the page, each line carefully placed to create this highly decorative object, the grapes and leaves climbing all over the thing. I bet it took ages to create the intricate details of the leaves, and the wood effect of the pitcher's body. I wonder what Halpin was thinking about when she made this drawing, perhaps lost in the repetition of the mark-making? This drawing reminds me of the work of other artists who explore the intersection of representation and abstraction, such as Jasper Johns. I’m reminded that artists are in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.