Platter c. 1937

This drawing by Joseph Sudek shows us a platter, rendered with delicate lines and a soft color palette. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the paper, carefully outlining the curves and contours of the plate. I can only imagine the thought process, of Sudek, the careful observation required to capture the subtle details of the floral pattern. Did he think of how the light plays across the porcelain surface, or the gentle shadows that define its form? The rendering style is very much that of technical drawing so maybe he was involved in the production of ceramics. It reminds me of those endless experiments with form, the way one simple shape can be transformed and reinterpreted in countless ways. Each mark is a testament to the artist's presence, a record of their unique vision and understanding of the world. It seems like Sudek is having a quiet conversation with the history of art.