Restoration Drawing 1935 - 1942

Robert W.R. Taylor created this watercolor titled "Restoration Drawing." Taylor’s watercolor captures the visual remnants of a colonial past, filtered through the lens of a restoration project. These depictions of doorways, adorned with both European and Indigenous motifs, invite us to consider questions of cultural exchange. Note, for instance, the contrast between the more austere, classical archway on the left and the archway on the right, which is crowned with a frieze of deer being hunted with bows and arrows. What does it mean to restore these images, and for whom? As we observe Taylor's attempt to capture these fading images, we might ponder the complex layers of identity and history embedded within these walls. This drawing makes me consider the silent dialogues and negotiations between different cultural groups in the colonial landscape.