Inkwell c. 1938

Editor: Here we have Giacinto Capelli’s "Inkwell," created around 1938. It’s a pencil drawing on paper, and there’s a quiet, almost nostalgic feeling about it. What interpretations come to mind when you see this work? Curator: My eye is drawn to the meticulous detail, but also the simplicity. The era – pre-World War II Italy – invites consideration of context. Everyday objects become stand-ins. Was this artist critiquing industrialization’s threat to the tradition of the written word? How did advancements in printing affect societal structure at this time, particularly within a fascist regime focused on control of information? Editor: I never would have thought about that! I was just seeing it as a simple drawing of an object. Curator: Objects often carry within them narratives. An inkwell is intrinsically tied to literacy, education, power… the ability to communicate and record. In the late 1930s, access to these tools – and the freedom to use them – was far from universal, right? Look closely; what does the material feel like? Smooth glass? How does that relate to who might own it and its availability for the average person? Editor: I guess if it's glass it seems class-based. Like an intellectual with education and position. Curator: Precisely! The very act of drawing it then could be an act of preservation, resistance, or perhaps even commentary. Can art serve to preserve the means of literacy? Can art change how power works and the systems within it? Editor: It’s incredible to consider how a simple object, rendered in pencil, can hold so much cultural and historical weight. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. Never underestimate the power of the mundane. The most common items can tell us stories about access, identity, and resistance.