Ink Well c. 1936

Anthony Zuccarello made this drawing of an inkwell sometime during his long life with what appears to be graphite or colored pencil. The drawing is so tender, the lines so delicate, they’re almost tentative. The light green feels like a memory. The inkwell sits squarely in the middle of the page, as if in a portrait, but the overall impression is of something so quiet, so simple, it’s almost like a whisper. Look at the way Zuccarello shades the facets of the inkwell with such care, building up the tone with many fine strokes. It reminds me of Agnes Martin, in its insistence on the beauty of repetition and the meditative quality of the mark making. What I love about this drawing is how it transforms the mundane into something special. Like a still life by Morandi, it invites us to slow down and see the world with new eyes, finding beauty in the everyday. It's like Zuccarello is saying, "Look, even this humble object can be a source of wonder."