Mug c. 1941

Sydney Roberts made this mug, and look at the way the brushstrokes are layered to conjure the light playing on metal. I can see the artist, patiently building up the forms, maybe even squinting a little to catch just the right glint. I bet she was thinking about those Dutch still-life painters. I mean, how could she not be? There's such a loving focus here, a real tenderness for the way light wraps around the curve of the mug. And that handle! It’s almost cartoonish, like it was drawn in one continuous line. That contrast between the round smoothness of the mug and the angular handle is what makes the painting so appealing. There's a clear love of the everyday object, elevating it in such a lovely way. What a beautiful homage.