Trivet c. 1941

Sydney Roberts made this delicate rendering of a trivet out of watercolour on paper sometime in the 20th century. The artist has captured the ironwork with so much patience, carefully painting all of its decorative swirls, lines, and curves. It's kind of shadowy, like a memory. It is not quite photorealist, but all the more interesting for it. I wonder if Roberts enjoyed painting metal objects, things made in a factory, or by a blacksmith. It makes me think of Charles Sheeler, but this is domestic in scale. This looks like a labour of love. Maybe it was a family object? Maybe it was just lying around and Roberts decided to paint it, like Morandi, and it was just one thing among other similar things. Painting is a way to slow down time, and to really see the world. It makes you ask questions and enter into a conversation with the artist. We keep coming back to look at painting, to have that conversation.