Silver Beaker c. 1938

Curator: Palmyra Pimentel created this pencil drawing of a "Silver Beaker" around 1938. It's an exquisite study of form and light using such a simple medium. Editor: Oh, it's lovely. Immediately, I get this serene feeling, almost melancholic. The muted tones evoke a quiet, reflective space. There’s such subtle play with shadow to indicate depth, yet everything feels so still, almost frozen in time. Curator: The artist's focus on precision is wonderful, isn’t it? Notice the detail in the delicate engravings circling the rim and the monogram front and center. It draws your eye right into the cup. What do you make of it? Editor: It's very geometric. You've got a cylinder sitting firmly on the bottom of the piece with an inscription interrupting the upper portion with small curvilinear designs. With this contrast I immediately feel tension in what would otherwise seem like a purely representational sketch. Curator: Perhaps the symmetry creates the equilibrium but look closely. Pimentel softly sketches the lines of the beaker’s form to reveal slight irregularities. In other words, she rejects the perfection of the object and emphasizes the hand and humanity in its depiction. It suggests the ephemeral nature of things. What does permanence mean when we observe it with care? Editor: Very astute observation. Looking closely at the monogram it does appear hand-tooled which contrasts starkly with modern computer generated graphics. Curator: Indeed. And even its functionality raises a question. This could be used at any time for drinking. Why is it an art object now, divorced from function by means of its meticulous capture? I imagine that there is even something a bit irreverent, considering the time period that this was drawn. Editor: Fascinating! In viewing it like this, I do begin to agree, there's something quietly rebellious happening here. Curator: Ultimately, it’s a tender exploration using just a simple silver cup as its anchor. Editor: A simple thing rendered deeply complex, demanding we consider both surface and soul. I like that thought very much.