Desk c. 1940

Peter C. Ustinoff made this painting of a desk, and I can just imagine him standing at his easel, squinting slightly as he tries to capture every detail. It’s a quiet study, almost like a whisper, rendered in gentle shades of brown that make you want to reach out and touch the surface, to feel the grain of the wood beneath your fingertips. I imagine Ustinoff was really taken by this desk. Maybe he owned it himself. Look at the careful way he’s described the vertical panels on the doors, and the elegant taper of the legs. I feel like he’s not just painting an object, but trying to get at the heart of it. I wonder if he had other furniture paintings. It reminds me of Agnes Martin’s quiet dedication, or Giorgio Morandi's humble reverence of simple things. Ustinoff's painting speaks to me of a deep appreciation for the everyday, and a willingness to find beauty in the simplest of forms. It's a reminder that art is not just about grand gestures, but also about quiet observation and contemplation.