Man's Stock Buckle c. 1936

Charles Criswell, working somewhere, sometime, made this tiny drawing of a "Man's Stock Buckle". It's a little thing, centered on a big piece of paper, like a postage stamp of the mundane. The color palette is quiet; browns and muted golds, mirroring the buckle itself, perhaps? You can almost feel the texture of the metal, the way the light catches on its edges. Look at how Criswell detailed the inner workings of the buckle, each line precise, almost reverent. It's like he's saying, "Even the smallest things deserve our attention." I’m reminded of the Shaker’s, and their design philosophy, finding beauty in simplicity and functionality. It's this idea that art isn't just about grand gestures or complicated ideas, but about finding something beautiful in the everyday. It's about the conversation between the artist and the object, the way they see the world and invite us to see it too.