Salt Cellar c. 1936

John Tarantino made this drawing of a salt cellar, probably using pencil and watercolor, with a light touch and delicate lines. The mauve color is evenly distributed, building up a sense of form and volume through subtle shifts in tone. It’s fascinating how he captures the texture of the glass, the play of light across its surface. The details are so precise, almost obsessive, especially in the repeating patterns. It’s a drawing about seeing, about really looking at something and trying to understand its structure and form. Look at the little geometric star shapes, each one meticulously rendered, as if Tarantino is trying to decode the object's essence. This feels like a cousin to the precise observational drawings of someone like Vija Celmins. But while Celmins is interested in the cool detachment of realism, Tarantino brings an almost tender quality to his subject. It invites you to slow down, to appreciate the beauty in the everyday, and to consider the hidden depths of even the simplest objects.