Deerskin Covered Chest c. 1942

Samuel Faigin made this drawing of a Deerskin Covered Chest, and I can imagine him carefully observing all the textures. The fur on the chest is depicted with short, soft strokes of browns and pinks, almost as if he’s trying to feel the softness through his pencil. I imagine Faigin trying to get it just right. He's capturing the way light reflects off each tiny hair! Then there's the metalwork, depicted with sharp, precise lines and dark shadows. Each nail looks like a tiny study in perspective. It makes me wonder: what was Faigin thinking about? Maybe he was interested in different textures. Maybe it was like a puzzle for him to figure out the way all these different objects came together. Maybe he saw a story in it? I bet Faigin would be happy to know that, years later, someone like me is still looking at his work, still wondering, and still feeling inspired. It shows you how we’re all in conversation with each other, across time and space.