Gatelegged (Table) Ball & Claw Feet c. 1939

Joseph Sudek made this drawing of a gatelegged table with ball and claw feet, but when and with what I don’t know. What gets me is how tenderly rendered it is, each line a caress on the paper. It reminds us that art-making is just as much about the process of looking as it is about the final image. The whole piece is swathed in a muted, earthy palette, evoking a sense of warmth and domesticity. Look closely at the way the light plays across the tabletop: subtle variations in tone suggesting the grain of the wood. The legs of the table curve and taper, ending in those wonderful ball and claw feet, each one meticulously rendered with attention to detail. It's as if he wants us to feel the weight of the table, its solid presence in the world. This piece has the same obsessive quality as Giorgio Morandi's paintings of bottles; both artists remind us that even the most mundane objects can be a source of endless fascination and beauty. Art always invites us to pause, look, and see the world anew.