Silver Mug 1935 - 1942

Holger Hansen made this drawing of a silver mug using graphite, creating a world of subtle gradations and soft edges. I imagine Hansen sitting with the mug in front of him, his eyes moving back and forth, trying to capture the way the light dances on its surface. It's a study in observation, but also in patience. You can see how he’s built up the form slowly, tentatively, with these delicate marks. It reminds me of Morandi, in a way. How he kept painting the same bottles over and over, each time trying to get a little closer to some essential truth about seeing. Maybe Hansen was doing something similar here, using this simple object as a vehicle for exploring the nuances of light, shadow, and form. Painters, we’re all just looking, trying to figure out how to translate the world onto a flat surface. And every now and then, we manage to capture something that feels true, even if we can’t quite explain why.