Silver Mug c. 1936

Isidore Steinberg made this drawing of a silver mug, though the date is unknown, with what looks like graphite on paper. It reminds me of the kind of observational exercises we were given in art school, trying to capture the fall of light on a simple object. The way Steinberg has worked the graphite, almost burnishing it into the paper, gives the mug a real sense of weight and volume. The subtle gradations of tone create a convincing illusion of three-dimensionality, a smooth, reflective surface. But there's also something slightly awkward about the drawing. It's as if the artist is more interested in the process of observation than in creating a perfect representation. Look at the base of the mug, how the line wobbles and thickens, or the almost diagrammatic sketch in the corner. It makes me think of Giorgio Morandi, with his quiet, contemplative still lifes, Steinberg also seems to be searching for something beyond the surface of things.