Compote c. 1938

S. Brodsky's 'Compote' is a drawing that uses a gorgeous, limited palette to bring a delicate glass object to life. Look at how the drawing is built up with layers of cool green and grey tones – it’s almost like Brodsky is discovering the form as they go. The reflections are really fascinating. Notice the way the light interacts with the curves of the glass, creating these soft, swirling patterns. The artist has really captured the way light can both reveal and obscure form. It's like the drawing is breathing, with the light moving and shifting across the surface. The way the paint is applied is so controlled, so precise, and yet there’s a certain looseness to it as well. Thinking of other artists, Giorgio Morandi comes to mind, with his quiet, contemplative still lifes, where the everyday objects become almost monumental. And like Morandi, Brodsky reminds us that art is really about seeing – about paying attention to the world around us and finding beauty in the simplest of things.