Pewter Salt or Sugar Bowl c. 1936

Sara Garfinkel made this small drawing of a pewter salt or sugar bowl, we don't know exactly when, using graphite and colored pencil. The making of art is a process, and here you can really see how Garfinkel works through a form, building it up with layers of hatching and shading, almost like she's sculpting with the pencil. The bowl is rendered in these soft grays and blacks, but then there’s this vibrant blue inside. It’s unexpected, a little jewel hiding in plain sight. The texture is smooth, almost metallic, achieved through careful layering of the pencil marks. Look at the base of the bowl, how she’s built up the tone with these tiny, almost obsessive marks. It’s like she’s trying to capture not just the look, but the feel of the object. This feels like a cousin to some of Morandi’s still lifes, where everyday objects are elevated through careful observation and quiet repetition. Like Morandi, Garfinkel invites us to slow down, to really see the beauty in the mundane, and to find endless possibilities for making and seeing.