Fire Tongs and Shovel c. 1937

Hans Korsch made this drawing of fire tongs and a shovel on paper. Isn't it intriguing how Korsch has laid out these tools? Almost like portraits, each object rendered with care and precision, standing out against that pale background. I imagine him studying them intently, noticing how the light hits the metallic surfaces, creating subtle gradations of tone and texture. Maybe he was drawn to the tools' utilitarian beauty, their shapes dictated by function but imbued with a certain elegance. And look at the gold at the top of each tool. What could it be? Brass? Gold leaf? It's something to behold, right? It’s fascinating to consider what Korsch was thinking when he made this. Was it simply an exercise in observation, or did he see something more in these humble objects? Whatever his intentions, he transformed these functional tools into objects of contemplation. It makes you wonder what other overlooked corners of our world hold hidden beauty, waiting for an artist to bring them to our attention.