Tie Clasp c. 1937

This Tie Clasp by Isidore Steinberg is rendered with watercolor and graphite on paper. You can tell that the making of this piece, this careful study, was a process. I love the way Steinberg uses these soft, muted golds and browns, as if the clasp itself is quietly glowing from within. It's a bit like a still life, isn't it? The way the clasp is presented, almost floating in the middle of the page, and with those additional technical drawings underneath, it reminds me of the kind of detailed studies you might see from the Renaissance. The texture of the paper itself adds to this effect, giving the whole piece a kind of aged, timeless quality. The buckle has a clear function, to fasten something, but outside of this it is transformed into an object of beauty, worthy of careful consideration. In a similar way, the work of Giorgio Morandi transforms everyday bottles and jars into timeless objects of contemplation. Both invite us to slow down and appreciate the subtle beauty of the everyday.