Mixing Table 1940

This "Mixing Table" by Ferdinand Cartier, well, it's not a painting in the traditional sense, but it's a painting *of* something, which I guess is a kind of painting? And it's definitely about making: about craftsmanship, about design, about figuring things out. Look at those delicate lines, the way he's rendered the wood grain, the subtle shifts in tone and colour. You can imagine Cartier at his desk, poring over blueprints, maybe even a real mixing table, trying to capture its essence on paper. I wonder what he was thinking as he worked, tracing and retracing each line. It’s the kind of drawing that makes you want to reach out and touch it, to feel the smooth surface of the wood, and to see if you can build one just like it. And who knows? Maybe somewhere, someone is looking at this drawing and feeling inspired to create something new. That's the thing about art, right? It's an ongoing conversation, a never-ending exchange of ideas across time.