Wine Glass c. 1936

This precise pencil drawing of a wine glass was made by Albert Eyth. The soft, muted tones of the glass object are carefully rendered, contrasting with the sharp, technical drawing of the base. You can see the artist using layers of graphite to build up the form, almost caressing the page. There's something deeply satisfying about the balance Eyth strikes between art and design. The texture of the glass seems almost palpable; I can imagine the cool, smooth feel of it in my hand. Look at the way the light catches those faceted edges, each one meticulously drawn, and consider how all this detail is balanced with the overall simplicity of the composition. It makes me think of Hilma af Klint's early botanical drawings, where objective observation meets a kind of spiritual searching. Art, for me, is about that exchange, that push and pull between the seen and the unseen.