Wooden Cutlery Box c. 1942

Erwin Stenzel made this wooden cutlery box, using paint. I can imagine him, leaning over the box with a brush, carefully dabbing at the grain, trying to capture that warm, brown glow. It’s interesting how he plays with light and shadow. See how the top of the box curves, almost like a smile? The way the light hits it makes it look so tactile, I want to reach out and run my hand over it. There’s a certain simplicity here that I appreciate. Stenzel doesn’t try to hide the fact that it’s a box. It's a celebration of everyday life. It reminds me a bit of Morandi, who painted the same bottles over and over, each time finding something new. Artists, we’re all just talking to each other across time, aren't we? This painting invites us to consider the beauty in ordinary objects and the subtle artistry involved in rendering them.