Sugar Bowl c. 1936

Here's a curious little drawing by Joseph Sudek, made with pencil, watercolor, and graphite. You can see the sugar bowl sitting there on the paper, demure and waiting. I imagine Sudek was a bit of a dreamer, like all of us, and I wonder what it was like for him, making pictures of stuff, of things. This pale and ethereal drawing reminds me of Morandi's still life paintings, with their muted tones and subtle arrangements. I wonder if he knew them? I like how he's used simple lines and washes of color to create a sense of depth and form, and the way the light seems to softly caress the surface of the sugar bowl. Look at the golden trim: the lines are so slight but give the vessel definition. You can just imagine the artist slowly building the image with tiny marks. Painters are always having conversations, and this is a conversation about looking, and mark-making, and quietness.