Dimensions: support: 268 x 347 mm frame: 497 x 578 x 25 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Look at this tender drawing from Juan Gris, titled "Coffee Mill," held here at the Tate. Editor: Mmm, muted... a hushed gathering of domestic objects rendered in soft graphite. It’s humble and strangely contemplative. Curator: Yes, and the inscription suggests it was a gift for his art dealer, Gustave Kahnweiler. It shows Gris moving away from the bright colors of Analytic Cubism. Editor: I'm intrigued by the coffee mill itself—such a functional, labor-intensive tool. It speaks to the daily rituals, the grind, both literal and metaphorical, of early 20th-century life. Curator: I find it so gentle. It is a quiet expression of friendship. Editor: True, and perhaps an acknowledgement of their shared work. A little like the gentle aroma of coffee itself, lingering... Curator: A perfect image to leave us to reflect on the art, and life.
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This drawing shows the extraordinary delicacy that Gris could bring to the transformation of the familiar in his late works. Line and soft shading are held effortlessly in balance, conveying form though managing to keep it open. The foot of the bowl and the spoon’s handle share their outline, just as the shoulder of the jug and the side of the coffee mill conjoin. This lends a surprising dynamism and softness to the everyday objects of domestic life. Gallery label, March 2008
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