Pa. German Trivet c. 1937

This graphite-on-paper rendering of a Pa. German Trivet was made by John Dana, sometime between 1855 and 1995, the years of his life. Look at the delicate lines he uses to describe this humble trivet. I love how he captures the everyday poetry of a simple, functional object. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the paper, carefully mapping the curves and angles of the trivet’s design. What was he thinking as he drew each heart shape around the edge, each line on the handle? This isn’t just a drawing of an object; it’s an exploration of form, a meditation on craftsmanship, and a celebration of the beauty found in the ordinary. Think about other artists who found inspiration in the mundane, like Morandi with his bottles, or Warhol with his soup cans. They remind us to look closely at the world around us and to find the extraordinary in the everyday. This little drawing is part of that bigger conversation.