Candlestick 1935 - 1942

This is Giacinto Capelli’s ‘Candlestick’, made sometime in the twentieth century with watercolor and graphite on paper. The slightly shaky rendering gives it a real sense of being observed. Not just depicted, but looked at, and thought about. I love the way he coaxes light out of the form, using these transparent layers to build up density. See how he has these small areas of dark green, especially where the three stacked balls meet the base? That simple touch really brings out the reflective quality of the glass. It’s interesting how he’s interested in the simple shapes of the object, almost like a study. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi, in the way that he just focuses on the interplay of forms. There's something about art that's like a conversation across time, each artist responding to what came before, and offering something new in turn.