Candlestick c. 1939

Jules Lefevere made this candlestick drawing at some point during his long life. It looks like it’s done with watercolor and graphite. The color palette is muted, mostly ochre and browns, and it feels quite methodical. There’s a stillness to it, as though he were attempting to capture something about the nature of the object. The candlestick sits on the page, its form built up through delicate washes of color. Look at the way the paint pools and gathers, creating shadows that hint at the object’s weight. It’s not trying to trick you, it’s all about the process. There's a strange quiet confidence to the drawing that makes me think of Giorgio Morandi and his still lifes of bottles. Both artists explore the quiet beauty of everyday objects, finding endless variations in form, light, and shadow. It’s an ongoing conversation, this looking and seeing and drawing. Each artist adds their own voice, their own unique perspective.