Glass 1935 - 1942

John Dana made this drawing of glass vessel, we don't know when, using graphite on paper. What strikes me about this piece is Dana's tender, almost reverent, approach. It feels like he’s trying to capture not just the form, but also the essence of light playing on the glass. Look at how he's built up the shadows with these soft, delicate strokes, almost as if he's caressing the paper. And notice the way the light seems to shimmer across the surface, created by the lightest touch of the graphite. It’s like he’s trying to make the drawing itself transparent, to capture the ethereal quality of the glass. The etched decorations too seem to be floating on the surface of the form. This reminds me of some of Giorgio Morandi's still life paintings, where the everyday objects are transformed into something almost mystical through the artist's careful observation. Ultimately, it’s this sense of quiet contemplation that makes the drawing so compelling. It invites us to slow down, to look more closely, and to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary.