Silver Baptismal Bowl c. 1936

Giacinto Capelli made this drawing of a Silver Baptismal Bowl, with what looks like graphite on paper. Look at how Capelli shades, stipples, and etches out the texture of this metallic form. The overall effect is like looking at the real thing. You can see that Capelli must have been looking closely, but with a kind of artistic license. How else could the artist have achieved the shimmering effect? I bet there was a lot of rubbing and erasing involved. The drawing has a hazy, almost dreamlike quality. I imagine Capelli making the drawing, squinting to capture the minute details and how the light bounces off of the metal. Capelli's drawing reminds me of those optical illusion drawings that trick your eye. I can feel the bowl in my hands, its weight and coolness. But is it really there? It makes me think about the relationship between seeing and knowing, and how artists help us see the world in new ways. This drawing is a testament to the artist's skillful eye and hand, and how art can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.