Cup and Saucer c. 1936

Erwin Schwabe made this drawing of a cup and saucer, using what looks like watercolor and ink. There’s something so charming about the way he renders these everyday objects. I love the way the black ink creates these sharp, stylized leaves, almost like little explosions frozen in place. It's balanced out by these soft, watercolor washes of lavender and pale green which give the work its dreamlike quality. The details are so precise, but the colors are off-kilter, creating a really unique tension. Look at how the black ink bleeds slightly into the surrounding paper, giving everything a kind of halo. It's a subtle detail, but it really adds to the overall feeling of intimacy. Schwabe reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint, in the way he combines abstraction with a deep sense of personal expression. Both invite us to see the world in a new, unexpected way. What do you think?