Tortoise Shell Comb 1936

Erwin Schwabe made this drawing of a tortoise shell comb, but when and with what materials is unclear. I love how much this simple composition has to say. The warm color palette of reds and yellows immediately draws you in, but also fills me with an almost painful sympathy for the artist. The work is an exercise in careful observation. I can imagine Erwin Schwabe, carefully studying the object in front of him, thinking about the lines, shapes and colors that come together to create the comb. There’s so much attention given to the texture of the shell and to the way the light plays across its surface! You can see it in the swirls of brown and gold that create a kind of topographical map on the page. I can imagine the artist trying to find his own hand within the work, thinking: "I see you tortoiseshell, but how do I make you?"