Butter Churn c. 1940

Giacinto Capelli, who lived an impressively long life, made this drawing of a butter churn, we don’t know exactly when, and we don’t know with what. The first thing I notice are the marks, thin washes and tight, controlled lines that build up the form. It makes me think of a drawing you might make of an object that you have in front of you, observing it very carefully. It’s interesting to think about an artist making art “of the everyday,” particularly when the everyday might be something like churning butter. I love the way that this humble object is elevated by being drawn, it’s history and use become something more like a monument. I feel a kinship with the artist, who also clearly had an appreciation for the beauty in simple, functional forms, much like the paintings of Giorgio Morandi. It really gets you thinking about the art of life, and the life of art, doesn’t it?