Pa. German Tin Sconce c. 1937

William L. Antrim, in the late 20th century, brushed pigment onto paper to create a rendering of this Pa. German Tin Sconce. I can imagine him carefully mixing his paints to match the patina of the old sconce, trying to capture that dull metallic gleam. It’s like he’s saying, “Hey, look at this thing someone made a long time ago,” but instead of just showing it to us, he’s making his own version of it. Notice the subtle use of color and shading? The way he suggests the play of light on the metal, as if he’s trying to bring this object to life on the page. The leaves are stenciled into the tin, and the artist has marked them with short strokes. He wants us to see the texture, to feel the weight and the history of this thing. It reminds me of other artists who find beauty in the everyday, turning the ordinary into something worthy of our attention. We’re all inspired by one another, passing on ideas and ways of seeing, keeping the conversation going.