Lantern c. 1937

Mildred Ford made this drawing of a lantern using graphite on paper. The graphite gives the piece a tonal quality that reminds me of gray scale photography, or even of early photogravure printing techniques. Looking closely at the textures, I see how Ford achieves a sense of dimensionality through varied shading. Notice the hatching around the handle, and how that area comes forward, while the side of the lantern recedes into shadow. Ford used a lot of short strokes to build up the form, letting the eye mix the shades of gray. I am especially drawn to the way she suggested the cylindrical form of the lantern through tone. Graphite drawings can sometimes flatten an image, but here, Ford has been sensitive to the subtle gradations of light and shadow and used this to create a sense of depth. This play of light and shadow is similar to the work of Charles Sheeler, who was interested in the interplay between photography and painting.