Chopping Knife c. 1940

Nicholas Amantea made this drawing of a chopping knife using graphite and colored pencil. Imagine the gentle pressure applied to the page, the build-up of tone, the soft rendering... It's a kind of loving attention to detail. I wonder what Amantea was thinking when he made this? Was it simply about documenting an object, or was there more to it? I can see the tool is worn, almost like the hand that has held it, bearing the marks of labor, its patina built up over time. That warm, slightly scuffed wooden handle and the cool, weathered steel create such a beautiful harmony. As a painter, I love how the artist has captured the essence of these materials, and how their juxtaposition embodies function and form so exquisitely. It reminds me of the work of other artists, from Giorgio Morandi to Vija Celmins, who have found poetry in the everyday. It's like a quiet conversation across time.