Candle Mold 1935 - 1942

William Schmidt made this drawing of a candle mold, we don't know when, using graphite on paper. It's all about line and tone. You get a real sense of the form through these gradations of gray, a bit like a black and white photograph. There’s a curious solidity to the object, and Schmidt renders this so deftly with his pencil. I love the way the cylinders cast a shadow on each other, creating depth and dimension. Looking closely, you can see Schmidt's hand in the variations of pressure, each line a delicate trace of his touch. It makes me think of Vija Celmins' meticulous drawings of everyday objects, or even Morandi's still lifes, where simple forms become vehicles for profound contemplation. Ultimately, art is about more than just representation; it’s about how we see, how we feel, and how we connect with the world around us.