Silver Porringer 1936

Charles Cullen created this drawing of a Silver Porringer, we don't know exactly when, with what looks like graphite pencil. The subtle gradations of tone, moving from light to dark, suggest a slow process of building up the image. It's almost meditative, like a form of visual sculpting. Looking closely, you can see how the pencil marks capture the metallic sheen of the porringer. The rendering of the bowl's curves and edges is so precise. It's as if Cullen is trying to understand the object through drawing. I'm drawn to the way he has captured the light reflecting on the inside of the bowl, a series of almost imperceptible changes in tone. It’s a little like how Fairfield Porter used light in his paintings, but with a very different subject matter. It’s interesting to think about this drawing in the context of technical or architectural drawings. It reminds us that art can be about careful observation and quiet appreciation, rather than grand statements. Like a still life by Morandi, it elevates the everyday into something worthy of contemplation.