Silver Mug c. 1936

Isidore Steinberg made this drawing of a silver mug sometime during his long life using graphite and colored pencil on paper. Looking at it, I imagine him studying it, turning it around in his hands, trying to capture its form and shine with just a few simple marks. I wonder if he had a sip of something before he started, maybe some tea, or even something stronger—I mean, I would! You can see a small study of the mug in the corner, a kind of warm-up sketch before he dove into the full drawing. The way he’s used the colored pencil to give the silver its luster reminds me of those old black and white movies where the set designers had to make everything look glamorous in grayscale. There’s something really grounding about seeing artists look at everyday objects in such a careful way; Steinberg reminds us to take a moment, breathe, and really see what’s in front of us. We’re all part of this big, ongoing conversation, riffing off each other’s visions, making something new out of something old.