Silver Funeral Spoon c. 1936

Jack Staloff, who lived from 1855 to 1995, drew this “Silver Funeral Spoon” using what looks like graphite or colored pencil. It's so understated, with these quiet, almost timid marks that build up the form gradually. It really makes you think about drawing as a slow, thoughtful process. The spoon is not just silver but feels like a ghost of a silver spoon. There’s a delicacy to the shading, especially in the bowl of the spoon, where you see these tentative strokes trying to capture the reflective quality of the metal. And the handle—how it subtly curves and twists—it is rendered with such care that it feels like a portrait, not just a depiction of an object. The blankness of the surrounding paper is like a big breath around it. This reminds me of Giorgio Morandi’s still-life paintings, where everyday objects are transformed through quiet observation and humble execution. It's this kind of art that whispers instead of shouts, inviting you to lean in and really look.