Quaker Man's Hat c. 1938

Henry De Wolfe, who lived from 1855 to 1995, made this drawing of a Quaker Man’s Hat, and what strikes me most is the surface of the paper, it’s got a kind of mottled texture, and you can almost feel De Wolfe coaxing the graphite into the fibres. There's a real delicacy in the way he’s handled the shading, building up the form of the hat with these soft, almost imperceptible gradations. See how the light seems to catch the brim, creating this subtle glow? It's like he's not just drawing a hat, but trying to capture the very essence of light itself. It's interesting how the image appears to float on the page as though not yet fully materialized, there’s a softness that keeps it unanchored. It's a drawing that reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes. Both artists share this quiet, contemplative approach to everyday objects, finding beauty in simplicity and inviting us to slow down and really see. You know?