Tea Kettle c. 1940

Fred Hassebrock made this painting of a tea kettle, we don't know when, but it’s rendered with such care and attention to the object itself. The palette is super muted; it’s all browns and grays. It's not about splashy color, but the way the light hits this ordinary object. The texture, the way the paint sits on the surface, almost mimics the rough, worn feel of the kettle itself. You can almost feel the weight of it, the history of countless cups of tea. It's not just a picture of a kettle; it's a meditation on usefulness and time. Look closely at the handle, how it curves, and how Hassebrock captures the way it catches the light. It’s so simple, yet so profound. Artists like Giorgio Morandi come to mind, finding the sublime in the everyday. It reminds us that art isn't just about grand gestures, it's about looking closely, and finding beauty in the mundane.