Mug c. 1937

Giacinto Capelli made this muted, graphite drawing of a mug in the absence of any specified date. The artist has chosen a mug as his subject. It’s an everyday object, yet Capelli renders it with such care, such attention to detail that we’re invited to see it anew. I wonder what drew him to this particular mug? Was it the way the light played on its surface, the intricate pattern etched into the glass, or perhaps it held a sentimental value? Look at the way Capelli uses subtle gradations of tone to create the illusion of three-dimensionality. The way he coaxes form out of the flat surface of the paper. It reminds me of Morandi, who spent his life painting the same bottles, again and again, each time finding something new to explore. Each mark contains a world of feeling, intention, and meaning. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they? They are in exchange with one another across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Painting is embodied expression, open to multiple interpretations.