Decanter c. 1936

This is John Tarantino’s "Decanter," a drawing of a glass bottle. It’s hard to date it, but the artist was born in 1855 and died in 1995, so it was made sometime in that period. There's something about the linear quality of this drawing that is really catching my attention. See how the vertical lines at the bottom of the decanter subtly curve to create a sense of volume? It's like Tarantino is mapping out the form, one line at a time. The hatching effect creates depth, while other areas are more opaque, almost solid. Then there is the square to the right, showing the surface detail, as though the artist is considering different aspects of the object and how they relate. Does the form remind you of anything? A figure, maybe? The history of painting is full of artists using everyday objects as a way to talk about human qualities and concerns. This piece reminds me of Giorgio Morandi’s still life paintings, where simple bottles become vehicles for profound emotional expression. But who knows? What does it say to you? Because art is always an ongoing conversation, with room for many different voices.