Roasting Stand with Drip Pan c. 1938

Roy Weber made this drawing of a roasting stand with a drip pan, rendered in muted tones on paper. You can imagine him studying this object, capturing its form with precise lines and subtle shading. The stand itself looks like a curious invention, a kind of metal sculpture meant for the hearth. What was Weber thinking as he drew it? Was he interested in the object's function, its history, or perhaps its sculptural qualities? You can almost feel the weight of the metal and see the light glinting off its surface. The lines vary in thickness and intensity which suggests the careful deliberation of mark-making, as he navigates the textures of the stand. Weber's work reminds us that artists are always looking, always finding inspiration in the everyday world. Like Manet painting asparagus, or Morandi arranging bottles, he transforms a mundane object into something beautiful and thought-provoking.