Silver Tankard 1935 - 1942

This anonymous drawing of a silver tankard materialised sometime around 1853, give or take. I'm thinking, what must it have been like to sit with this object, maybe a cherished family possession, and try to capture its gleam and form with such precision? I can imagine the artist carefully layering graphite, building up the tones to mimic the light reflecting off the metal. Look at the inscription, it says 'Warrie! from his Gran, Dec. 25, 1853.' It makes me wonder about Warrie and his grandmother and the occasion for this special gift. Was this drawing commissioned, or was it made out of love, a record to treasure? It feels so personal, almost like a portrait of an object, capturing not just its appearance but also its history and sentiment. You know, drawing or painting everyday objects is an interesting starting point for artists, like Morandi’s bottles, or Warhol’s soup cans. And even though we don’t know the artist’s name, their hand lives on through this lovely sketch.