Pewter Plate c. 1936

Charles Cullen’s drawing of a pewter plate is a quiet, unassuming work rendered with delicate pencil strokes. It's like he's trying to capture the very essence of "plate-ness", you know? The texture is smooth, almost metallic, with subtle gradations of light that suggest the plate's gentle curves. Look at the way Cullen uses the side-on diagram to reveal the simple functionality of the plate, its humble purpose. The pencil work is precise, almost technical, yet there’s a softness that keeps it from feeling sterile. I think this drawing becomes a meditation on form, function, and the beauty of the everyday. It reminds me of some of the still lifes of Giorgio Morandi, who turned commonplace bottles and bowls into objects of profound contemplation. Like Morandi, Cullen finds poetry in the mundane, inviting us to slow down and really *see* the things that surround us. It’s about embracing ambiguity, and the idea that the ordinary can be extraordinary if we just take the time to look.