Drawer Pull c. 1936

Janet Riza's "Drawer Pull" is an undated study on paper, presenting meticulously rendered brass furniture hardware. Riza, living from 1855 to 1995, likely created this work during a time when women's roles in design and craft were gaining recognition, yet remained largely confined to domestic spheres. The drawing showcases a level of detail and technical skill typically associated with professional architectural or industrial design renderings. However, the subject matter—drawer pulls—hints at the gendered division of labor, where women were often relegated to interior decoration and the aesthetic embellishment of domestic spaces. The choice of brass, with its connotations of domesticity, is intriguing. Is Riza celebrating these functional objects? Or, does she employ the precision of her craft to subtly critique the limitations placed upon women artists and designers? "Drawer Pull" invites us to consider how women navigated and expressed their artistic talents within a patriarchal society, finding beauty and meaning in the everyday objects that surrounded them.