Silver Caster c. 1936

Herbert Russin made this drawing of a Silver Caster with graphite on paper. What strikes me is the soft, gray scale he coaxes from this humble medium, almost like he’s trying to hold a memory in pencil. Looking closely, the graphite isn’t applied evenly; it's built up in layers to capture the form and light, creating this wonderful sense of depth. You can almost feel the cool smoothness of the silver and imagine picking it up. I particularly love the upper, perforated section of the caster, where the light catches ever so slightly, suggesting a delicate, shimmering quality. It’s as though Russin wanted to preserve not just its appearance but its essence. This reminds me of Morandi’s still lifes where everyday objects become profound through careful observation and rendering. Like Morandi, Russin shows us how seeing is really about slowing down and imbuing the ordinary with extraordinary attention.