Silver Coffee Pot 1935 - 1942

Curator: Here we have Emilio Zito's "Silver Coffee Pot," a pencil drawing made sometime between 1935 and 1942. Editor: My initial impression is one of quiet domesticity. It's an intimate study of a very ordinary object, rendered with remarkable precision. Curator: Indeed. Consider the coffee pot itself. It's a symbol of hospitality, warmth, shared moments—the center of many a social gathering. Its very shape, that gently swelling body, suggests abundance and plenty. Editor: Yet, the medium complicates that reading for me. The use of pencil, so understated, creates a tension with the potential opulence of the silver. I find myself thinking about the availability, access to raw materials, and even the specific pencils used to make it! I want to know about the labor of drawing itself. Curator: Good point. There’s an argument to be made for realism in drawing—it is after all representational. Still, observe the slightly elongated spout, the subtly exaggerated curve of the handle. These distortions hint at the artist's own subjective engagement with the object. Does it signify longing for idealized homeliness, perhaps absent during wartime? Editor: That’s an interesting avenue for approach, thinking about it in context with a time of war, particularly concerning resource access. The deliberate act of sketching this seemingly commonplace, potentially silver object turns the study into a moment of reflection during crisis and resource management, highlighting a shared space—or potential abundance—at that specific moment in time. Curator: So, in essence, Zito transforms the coffee pot from a mere utilitarian object into a vessel brimming with cultural and emotional significance. The choice to draw such a recognizable item certainly makes it compelling. Editor: Right. And focusing on how this drawing emphasizes its function makes you consider its making—alluding to labor practices and potential social divides that exist. So really, we get two images in one. Curator: A beautiful summation, capturing both the object's inherent symbolism and its grounding within material reality. Editor: Absolutely. From start to finish, seeing and making coexist as one.