Oil Can c. 1941

Maurice Van Felix made this drawing of an oil can, we don't know when, using graphite on paper. The piece has the feel of something patiently observed. It's so quiet, almost meditative. The artist really took the time to observe the mundane. Look how the graphite gives the metal a weathered, used look. The surface of the oil can almost seems to breathe with a kind of life. It's all in the details, like the way the light catches the curve of the handle, or the subtle shading that gives the body its volume. The whole piece feels so tactile, like you could reach out and touch the cool, smooth metal. This reminds me of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, in the way it elevates the everyday to something profound. It makes you think about what it means to really see something.