New Jersey Shore 

This is Muirhead Bone's sketch, New Jersey Shore, made with graphite on paper. Here, the composition is immediately striking, dividing the scene into distinct horizontal layers. At the base is a dark foreground, dominated by the dense graphite strokes which form the shore. Above, the water provides a plane of tonal contrast, reflecting light and activity, leading the eye towards the distant shore. Bone uses line and shading to create depth. The architectural elements, drawn with precise lines, contrast with the softer, sketchier rendering of the natural forms. This juxtaposition creates a visual dialogue between the industrial and natural worlds, each defined by distinct graphic languages. The act of sketching itself becomes a subject, revealing an interest in the materiality of the medium and the process of representation. As such, New Jersey Shore invites us to consider the interplay between observation, artistic interpretation, and the dynamic urban landscape.