Christmas Light 1938

Giacinto Capelli made this drawing, titled 'Christmas Light,' using graphite and watercolor. Capelli was born in Venice, Italy, which was and remains a hub for glassmaking. We can imagine that Capelli had access to a variety of glass objects. The drawing has a great attention to detail with the play of light on the textured surface of the glass. There’s also an interesting flatness to the drawing, despite the naturalism of its depiction. Italian design at this time, and since, has been lauded for its ability to combine both beauty and functionality and for its creative fusion of art and industry. There’s an interesting tension in this drawing between its status as a design object and its status as a work of art. To understand the conditions under which Capelli made this drawing, we could learn more about the networks of design and art in Venice at this time and the place of institutions like museums and design schools.