Silver Mug c. 1936

Curator: Here we have Isidore Steinberg’s "Silver Mug," a pencil drawing dating to around 1936. Editor: It has a lovely, subdued quality. Almost feels like looking at an antique photograph, with all the shades of grey rendering metal. There's even a design of a coat-of-arms in the upper corner; it hints at some kind of narrative that this mug might have belonged to someone special. Curator: Steinberg’s work often explores notions of value through mundane, everyday objects. The choice of silver, typically a precious material, elevated to artistic consideration, prompts reflection. Where does its value reside, in function, in status or here, in depiction? Editor: Yes, and considering it's just a pencil drawing of a functional object. Steinberg's emphasizing how labor and skill, inherent in crafting and depicting the form, might bring value. Silver mugs weren't mass-produced trinkets; each demanded the handiwork of a silversmith. This artwork then represents a distillation of both craft and artistic expression. Curator: It's important also to consider how such images might have circulated. Was this intended for public display or was it potentially a study? The interwar period saw many shifts in how art functioned within society; Steinberg positions himself critically in that landscape, offering a mirror reflecting the socioeconomic values of the time. Editor: And I wonder about the pencil. Graphite itself is such a humble material. A common tool for design work transformed by skillful labor in representing complex shapes. There’s such contrast between a simple implement and the luxury item. The subtle graphite shading tries to mimic this smooth silver and you think about all the specialized tools to realize this same shape using metallurgy. Curator: Ultimately, this “Silver Mug” prompts us to question the accepted values within art and culture, who gets to ascribe the notion of value and the means and implications that accompany this act of valuation. Editor: I now see past the simplicity into a fascinating consideration of value, and material, and work. Thank you.