Hutch Table c. 1939

This drawing of a Hutch Table was made by Nicholas Gorid sometime in the 20th century. Look at the way the wood grain is rendered, and how that fleshy brown spreads across the surface, pooling in places, like a stain, and giving shape and depth to a solid object. You can see the artist building up the form through simple descriptive lines, trying to get it just right. I can imagine them squinting as they try to capture the light hitting the surface, figuring out the angles of each leg. It’s not easy to translate three dimensions into two! The care that has gone into this piece, the observation and attention, are the most wonderful things about it. Even though it's a technical drawing, you can feel the hand of the artist in every line. It reminds me how we're all constantly learning from each other, borrowing ideas, and keeping the conversation going across time.