Platter c. 1937

Joseph Sudek created this drawing of a platter with watercolor, and pencil, it appears, and maybe something else, it's hard to tell. It’s like he’s mapping the object rather than depicting it; the plate isn’t just presented, it's also deconstructed. The wispy floral decoration and scalloped edge sit serenely atop a muted underbelly of graphite marks and ghostly washes. The colours are mostly subdued, but there are small areas of ochre and sienna. The plate seems to float, or emerge from, the paper, as if held by a very shallow body of water. In the bottom corner, we get to see some other sketches, the artist is thinking through the object, trying it out. It reminds me a little bit of Morandi, but with an added layer of documentation. It's like Sudek is saying that art is a way of knowing, and that the process of making is just as important as the final product.