Wash Bowl and Pitcher c. 1953

Frank Fumagalli made this drawing of a wash bowl and pitcher, probably from life, using watercolor and graphite. Look at the layers of pale greys and browns, almost like he’s building up a memory of a physical object. The colours are muted, and applied in thin washes, giving the object a feeling of transparency and lightness. There is no strong sense of shadow or reflected light, which gives it a kind of ghostly presence, floating in space. See how the artist has used dry brushstrokes to suggest texture on the bowl's surface? These details add to the emotional feel, like you're reaching back through time. This piece reminds me of Giorgio Morandi’s still life paintings, where simple, everyday objects are transformed through careful observation and repetition. Fumagalli lets us meditate on the beauty of everyday objects, elevating them to a higher plane. It's like he's saying, "Look closer, there's more here than meets the eye."