Spoon Holder 1935 - 1942

This pencil drawing of a spoon holder was made by Anthony Zuccarello, though we don’t know when. Imagine him working with a very light touch, building up those subtle gradations of grey, carefully outlining the play of light on glass, the way the form shifts and emerges through trial, error, and intuition. It's a celebration of light, an attempt to freeze a fleeting dance. I can almost feel him squinting, tilting his head, lost in concentration. What was he thinking as he built up those shadows? Probably trying to get it exactly right, which of course is impossible and that tension is what makes it so interesting. The slight asymmetry of the goblet shape gives a sense of humanity, reminding us that this is a handmade object seen through the subjective vision of the artist. It reminds me of Morandi and his bottles - a similar sense of quiet observation and contemplation. Artists are always in dialogue with each other, trading ideas across time, inspiring each other's creativity. Painting, drawing, it’s all embodied expression, where ambiguity allows for endless interpretations.