Silver Mug c. 1936

Michael Fenga made this drawing of a silver mug, and well, it's a drawing of a mug, plain and simple. You know when you look at something, *really* look at it? That’s what I imagine Fenga doing here. It’s like he’s saying, “Okay, mug, I see you. I see your curves, your highlights, your handle.” I bet he probably stared at it for hours, trying to capture every little detail. I can almost feel the weight of the mug in my own hand, the cool metal against my skin. The light in this image is soft, and makes me wonder if Fenga worked on it over many days, or if he really did finish it in one go. The drawing is precise and methodical, yet there's a certain tenderness, too. I imagine Fenga hunched over his drawing board, his brow furrowed in concentration, totally lost in the act of seeing. And for a moment, the mug becomes more than just a mug; it becomes a vessel for his thoughts, his feelings, his very being. It shows us how something mundane can become quite profound.