Cup c. 1937

Joseph Sudek made this drawing of a cup. It’s all careful lines and muted colors, a kind of quiet observation. I imagine Sudek, perhaps with his own cup nearby, studying every curve and edge. I wonder what he was thinking as he worked—was he focused on the cup's simple functionality or something else? Look how the thin lines trace the cup's form, giving it substance and shadow. The pale color suggests a subtle light, almost as if the cup glows from within. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi’s still life paintings, where ordinary objects become extraordinary through careful observation. There's a similar sense of meditation, as if the act of drawing itself is a form of contemplation. We, as artists, build on the work of those who came before us. This drawing whispers to us across time, reminding us to slow down, to look closely, and to find beauty in the everyday.