Inkwell c. 1936

Nicholas Amantea made this drawing of an inkwell, with an unknown medium, at an unknown time. It's like he’s saying, "Hey, world, check out this inkwell". I love how he renders it so carefully, like each little diamond is an exercise in colour control. Look closely, and you'll see the cross-hatching effect he’s built up to make the inkwell pop. The shadow is like a soft landing. What I love about this is the tenderness he brings to such an ordinary object. I wonder if Amantea knew the work of Giorgio Morandi, who elevated humble bottles to the status of minor gods, or maybe Agnes Martin. Each artist shares this similar process of quiet observation. Each one shows us that art is about how we look, not just what we see. It's about seeing the world anew, one inkwell at a time.