Sugar Bowl c. 1937

John Tarantino made this drawing of a Sugar Bowl, we don't know exactly when. What jumps out is the intense, almost obsessive, attention to light and shadow. It’s a study in observation, really, and a testament to the simple act of looking closely. You can almost feel the cool smoothness of the metal just by the way he renders the reflections. Notice the detailed floral patterns etched into the surface; they catch the light differently, creating a play of textures. It’s like Tarantino is exploring how light can define form. This work reminds me a bit of some of the realist painters of the 19th century, like William Harnett, who were masters of illusion. But where they aimed for perfect realism, Tarantino seems more interested in the process itself, in the way the pencil can capture the essence of an object. In art, like in life, it’s often the journey, not the destination, that matters most.