Cask c. 1937

Richard Barnett made this drawing of a cask at some point in his long life, and it's just so matter-of-fact. Barnett's approach to drawing feels so simple, almost like he's just tracing the object in front of him, but that kind of directness is really hard to pull off. I love how he renders the surface, that pale grayish-white with the cobalt blue decorations. The blue swirls around the cask like smoke or vines, and it has a real earthy quality. And you can see every little imperfection and bump. He doesn't try to hide anything, and that's what makes it so honest. I'm reminded of the drawings of Giorgio Morandi, who spent his life drawing the same bottles over and over. It's not about perfection; it's about getting to know something intimately through the act of drawing. Barnett invites you to see the beauty in the ordinary.