Pewter Inkwell c. 1936

Salvatore Borrazzo made this pencil drawing of a pewter inkwell, but when, we can't be sure. What I love here is the patient and precise mark-making, the layering of graphite that builds up the illusion of a smooth, metallic surface. The artist really wants to show us something - but what? The drawing feels incredibly detailed, almost like a technical drawing, but there's also a softness, a sensitivity in the shading. It’s less about cold precision, and more about feeling the form, feeling the light on this everyday object. Look at the circles of the inkwells, the way they catch the light, like tiny, gleaming eyes. I am reminded of Giorgio Morandi, who elevated simple, unassuming objects through the act of looking and drawing. Like Morandi, Borrazzo invites us to pause, to observe, and to find beauty in the mundane. Ultimately, it's a reminder that even the simplest objects, when rendered with care, can become vessels of contemplation and quiet wonder.