San Buenaventura 1935 - 1942

This drawing, of San Buenaventura, has been rendered in coloured pencil, with such care! Look at how the colours have been laid down, each tiny stroke building up to create a soft, luminous image. It speaks to a devotional act, slowly building up an image through process. The surface is built up through tiny marks, and if you get up close you can really see the texture that this creates. The pink robe, for example, is created from layers of red and white pencil, while the book he holds is an almost translucent yellow. See how the artist uses these tiny lines to create a sense of depth and volume, a kind of quiet presence. The way the robe falls in a series of precise, repeated lines is so striking, almost architectural in its rigidity. It reminds me a little of the work of Agnes Martin, in the way that simple lines can create a sense of calm and contemplation. In art, as in life, sometimes the most powerful statements are made in the quietest of voices.