Silver Mug c. 1937

Richard Schoene made this rendering of a Silver Mug with graphite on paper. There's something really appealing about how he's taken this object and reduced it to its most essential elements. The shading is so delicately rendered, giving the mug a subtle sense of volume and weight. It's all about capturing the light as it hits the metal, creating these soft gradients from light to dark. The bands around the mug are so perfectly spaced, a testament to the artist’s eye. I love the tiny details, like the faint sketch of the mug’s dimensions in the corner, a peek into the artist’s process. The way Schoene has captured the essence of this everyday object reminds me of Morandi's still lifes, these simple, quiet compositions that invite us to pause and really see. I think this reminds us that art isn't always about grand gestures or big statements. Sometimes, it's about finding beauty in the ordinary, and in the process of observing and recording, transforming the mundane into something transcendent.