Silver Caudle Cup c. 1936

Michael Fenga made this drawing of a silver caudle cup, but when? Who knows! What I love about drawings like this is how they capture the essence of looking – the artist must have really studied this object, turning it around, noticing how the light glints off the silver. The overall effect is so precise, so meticulous. I can imagine him, lost in concentration, carefully rendering each curve and detail, building up the form with delicate strokes. It makes you wonder about the original object itself—the real, heavy weight of it, cool to the touch, reflecting the world in its polished surface. I love the symmetry of this design, like a heraldic crest. This caudle cup, rendered in graphite, speaks to a long history of artists looking at objects, trying to capture their beauty and essence in line and form. It’s an exchange of ideas, a conversation across time. Painting and drawing are not about fixed meanings, but about exploring and embracing all the possible readings!