Stern Decoration c. 1937

Editor: This is Jerome Hoxie’s "Stern Decoration," made around 1937 using watercolor and drawing. The symmetrical composition featuring an eagle feels so strong, and I am intrigued by its ornamental features. How would you interpret this artwork through its formal properties? Curator: Note the emphasis on line. How does the artist utilize lines of varying thickness to define the forms of the eagle, the sunburst, and the ornate scrollwork beneath? And consider how the restricted color palette contributes to the overall effect. What kind of relationship exists between line and color in creating visual textures and depths? Editor: It seems like the linear quality flattens the overall image, creating a tapestry-like effect despite the modeling within the eagle itself. Does that flattening change how the image presents itself as "decoration" rather than sculpture? Curator: Precisely! It's important to observe how the formal elements contribute to the artwork's identity as decoration rather than representation. It does not seem concerned with creating the illusion of depth; instead it foregrounds the aesthetic arrangement of forms and lines. This also points us towards considering it as more of an illustration than a realistic rendering. Consider, what effect comes from the work being a drawing rather than being itself the ‘stern decoration’? Editor: I see it now. By flattening it to an image, the work transforms the sculptural into a symbol for it! It's a lot to think about how mediums inform a work's identity! Curator: Exactly. Paying attention to these formal nuances opens pathways for understanding how a seemingly simple decorative piece achieves considerable symbolic density.