Foot Scraper c. 1938

John Wilkes made this simple but evocative drawing of a foot scraper sometime in the 17th century. Can you imagine him, squinting at this everyday object, trying to capture its essence with just a few strokes? There's a real tenderness in the way he's rendered the ironwork, so solid and heavy. He must have really looked at it, taken the time to understand the form and the purpose of the scraper. You can almost feel the weight of the metal in your hand. I love how the swirls at the top soften the rigid structure, lending it a touch of elegance. And that little sock-like covering at the bottom! How would you paint that? What a quirky detail, so humble. I imagine Wilkes chuckling to himself, trying to capture the humor in the object's rough-and-ready form. It's a reminder that even the most ordinary things can be beautiful if you really see them.