Silver Bowl c. 1937

This drawing of a Silver Bowl was made by Michael Fenga, and it’s so delicate, all pencil on paper. I can just imagine Fenga, in a room perhaps not unlike this one, sitting with the bowl in front of him, turning it slowly to catch the light. The image coming into being, stroke by stroke, each line a tiny decision. See how the pencil is used to catch the sheen of the bowl, how light reflects off its surface, and the subtle play of shadows? There’s a second, smaller bowl too, an echo of the first. Is it a memory, a reminder? Maybe it's a doodle or a second attempt. In the end, though, it’s the main bowl that holds our attention. It’s simple, almost classical, and yet so beautifully observed. It makes me think about the way that simple objects can hold so much beauty, and how artists like Fenga help us to see the world in new ways. We're all in conversation, aren't we?