Pewter Spoon c. 1937

This drawing of two spoons was made by Burton Ewing, sometime between 1855 and 1995. It looks like it's pencil on paper, although it could also be charcoal. When I look at it, I start to wonder what it would have been like to make this. What was Ewing thinking? Was he interested in the light and the way it hits the metal? I’m struck by how the spoons both gleam. The artist is showing us not just the shape of the spoon, but also the way light bounces off it. I really love the small details near where the bowl of the spoon meets the handle. It’s almost floral, like a little fan. For me, drawing is like thinking, and I think that Burton Ewing probably loved to draw. You can see it in how much attention he gave to the shapes of the spoons. And you know, it’s just like, who thinks of drawing a spoon? It’s so great. It reminds me that the most ordinary things can be beautiful.