Watchman's Rattle 1938

E.J. Gilsleider made this drawing of a Watchman’s Rattle, we don't know when, with what looks like watercolour and pencil. The way it’s rendered reminds me of technical drawings, almost architectural, but softened somehow. The colours are muted and earthy, which gives the object a tactile quality, as if you could reach out and touch the wood. The surface is built up with very controlled applications of pigment, with soft shadows. I wonder about the artist's hand moving across the paper, carefully building up tone and texture. The handle is quite beautiful. See how the lines curve and swell, creating a sense of rhythm and movement? It's as though Gilsleider is not just depicting the rattle, but also capturing its potential for sound, for action. The care put into this drawing reminds me of the work of Joseph Yoakum, in the loving attention to humble objects and the ability to see something extraordinary in the everyday. Art invites us to slow down, look closely, and listen for the stories embedded in the world around us.