Silver Baptismal Bowl c. 1936

Giacinto Capelli made this Silver Baptismal Bowl with graphite on paper. The subtle gradation of tone, shifting from light to dark to suggest the form and lustre of the bowl, gives it a delicate presence. You can sense the artist considering the bowl from different angles as the drawing progressed, searching for the form, tilting the image in space. The drawing’s surface is built from countless tiny marks, each carefully placed to construct the illusion of a three-dimensional object. If you look closely, you can see the texture of the paper coming through, reminding us of the drawing’s materiality. The engraved details, the heraldic crest and inscription, are rendered with precision, yet they seem to float on the surface of the bowl, adding a touch of ornate detail to the sleek, simple form. There's something about Capelli’s approach that reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, who also used subtle variations in tone to create a sense of depth and volume, transforming the mundane into something almost transcendent. Ultimately, this drawing invites us to slow down, to contemplate the beauty of everyday objects, and to appreciate the skill and artistry that goes into their creation.