Cast Iron Heater Stove c. 1940

This is Dolores Haupt’s ‘Cast Iron Heater Stove,’ made with graphite on paper. Look at that exquisite detail! It’s like Haupt is not just depicting a stove, but really thinking about it, feeling it, and appreciating its form. I can almost see her, bent over the paper, carefully rendering each ornate curve and flourish. Imagine the patience, the sheer dedication it took to create this image. There is an obsessive quality to the mark making, a determination to document every detail. It speaks to the value in seeing the beauty in everyday objects. It reminds me of the work of other artists like Vija Celmins, who find the sublime through close observation. What can be revealed through the act of close looking? What can you discover from observing something that is often overlooked? That, to me, is what art is all about.