LUCCA Broom

An inspiration for this drawing:

While walking in a dusty corner of an old street in Lucca, Italy, I was fascinated by a charming old broom, I could see its wooden handle, smoothed by years of diligent hands, carrying stories etched into every groove and knot. Though frayed and uneven, the bristles still hint at their original vigour, tied tightly with faded twine. As a child I lived in Trujillo a city in the northern part of Peru, early mornings the streets were swept with these aged brooms, the sound still resonates as a precious memory.

Each sweep of this humble tool has danced through seasons gathering autumn leaves, brushing away winter's chill, and clearing spring's pollen. The broom's wear speaks not of obsolescence but of reliable service, a companion in the cadence of daily life.

Now leaning quietly against the wall, it exudes a rustic dignity, a token of simpler times when every object bore meaning and pride. Its magic lies not just in its aged form, but in the comfort of its surviving presence.The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans utilized simple sweepers made from palm fronds, twigs, and rushes, often linking the act of sweeping to rituals of purification.

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pose to say: Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well"