Studies 1902

Alphonse Mucha made this study of silverware with pencil on paper, but we don't know when. I love the way Mucha's put everything on a soft beige background, it lets the silver pop and it makes the details stand out. There's a real mix of styles, from very loose sketches to tight, precise drawings. Take the plate near the bottom. It's got these swirling, abstract lines inside it that contrast the defined edges of the silverware. It's like he’s playing with different ways of seeing and how to depict objects. The spoon is drawn from a low perspective, it feels like you can reach out and touch it. I can see a bit of Beardsley's influence in the Art Nouveau curves, though Mucha has a lightness and playfulness that's all his own. Art’s an ongoing conversation, isn't it? It's like each artist picks up the thread and keeps the story going. I like this state of "unfinishedness" somehow. There's room for us to imagine, to interpret, to add our own voices to the mix.