Silver Beaker c. 1938

Dorothy Dwin made this drawing of a "Silver Beaker" with graphite on paper. You can see the pressure of her hand as she coaxes the cylindrical form into being. I’m always curious about what an artist is thinking when they make something like this. Is she interested in the reflective qualities of the silver, the way light glints off the curves and edges? Was she thinking about the utility of the beaker itself – what it might hold, who might use it? The original object was only three and five-eighths inches high, so it is interesting she chose to draw it at this scale. I love the way she's captured the texture of the metal, the way it seems both smooth and slightly hammered. And those leafy designs around the base—they're so delicate and intricate. It's as if Dwin is trying to freeze a moment in time, to capture the essence of this simple, beautiful object before it fades away. I’m inspired to look at how the objects I use every day hold a similar charge.