Candle Mold 1935 - 1942

This drawing of a Candle Mold was made by William Schmidt sometime during his lifetime. I can almost feel Schmidt’s hand moving across the page, carefully rendering each cylindrical form and the shadows they cast. What was he thinking as he observed this mundane object, elevating it to the status of art? I wonder if he felt a connection to the past, to the generations who relied on candlelight before the advent of electricity. The drawing itself has a ghostly presence. The cool grey tones create a somber mood. I love the way the artist captured the subtle gradations of light and shadow, giving the metal form a sense of weight and solidity. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi, who transformed humble bottles and vases into objects of quiet contemplation. We painters, we’re all in conversation with each other, across time, riffing on the same themes, finding new ways to see and represent the world around us. It's a process of continuous discovery, of learning from those who came before, and of pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.