Men's Stock Buckles c. 1936

Charles Criswell, who lived an incredibly long life, made this drawing of men's stock buckles at an unknown date. The buckles are like little worlds contained in rectangles, each a testament to design and functionality. What I love about simple objects like this is how the artist can transform them into something more, an act of seeing and recording that elevates the everyday into a kind of quiet poetry. You can almost feel Criswell's hand at work here, carefully outlining each curve and notch with what seems to be watercolour on paper. I wonder, what was Criswell thinking as he rendered these buckles? Was he lost in the details, or contemplating their use and history? Each stroke of the pen feels like a meditation, a way of understanding the world through close observation and careful transcription.