Silver Mug c. 1936

Filippo Porreca made this drawing of a silver mug, with graphite, on paper. The softness of the material seems just right for the quiet precision of his rendering. Look at how Porreca uses shading to give the mug its rounded, reflective quality. There are these tiny, almost imperceptible marks that together give the illusion of a smooth, metallic surface, which is really beautiful. It makes me think about how much time he must have spent observing the light reflecting off the object, slowly building up the image. It's kind of a humble drawing, but it's also masterful in its own way. There's a real sense of care and attention to detail, especially in the rendering of the handle. It reminds me a bit of the drawings of Giorgio Morandi – a similar focus on everyday objects, rendered with a kind of quiet intensity. I find that art is less about answers, and more about opening up a space for reflection.