Kettle with Spoon c. 1935

This delicate drawing of a kettle and spoon was made by Benjamin Resnick, we don't know when. The drawing is constructed with simple cross hatching, see how he has used it to build the spherical form of the kettle and create a sense of light and shadow? I can imagine Resnick finding the beauty in the everyday. What was he thinking as he rendered this utilitarian object? Was it sitting in his kitchen? Or did he find it in a museum and want to capture the details of the design? Notice the precision of the lines and the subtle gradations of tone. It's like he's trying to understand the object through the act of drawing. The textures of the metal are conveyed so simply. It reminds me of other artists who find inspiration in humble things, like Giorgio Morandi. There's a real conversation happening here between the artist and his subject, a conversation that continues as we look and find our own meaning in the work.