Mug 1935 - 1942

Frank Fumagalli made this drawing of a mug, likely in the late 20th century, using watercolor or perhaps gouache. The color palette is muted—transparent washes of amber and gold, which gives the mug a kind of ghostly presence on the page. You can see the way the artist has built up the form with delicate layers of pigment, letting the paper breathe underneath. I love the subtle shift from darker to lighter tones, which suggests the play of light on the glass. The base of the mug has a puddle of concentrated color, which pools and almost gives the impression of liquid sloshing about inside. It puts me in mind of Giorgio Morandi, who painted bottles and jars and humble vessels, and seemed to find a whole universe of feeling in those forms. Fumagalli's mug is an object but also a feeling; he is reminding us to slow down and really see.