Italian 16th and 18th Century: Gallery 34 1939

Eggers and Higgins made this drawing, “Italian 16th and 18th Century: Gallery 34”, sometime between 1937 and 1975 with graphite, colored pencil, and paint wash on paper. I just love the restrained colour palette of greys, browns, and tans, giving it a real sense of space. It's a study in texture and surface. The walls in the drawing have been built up using pencil and paint wash to give it a tactile dimension. Look how the light catches the upper part of the arch, and the shadows cast by the unseen light source. The figure standing in the doorway is just a few scribbled lines, but the tonal variation in the marks convey so much information about the interior space. It reminds me of Piranesi, but much more understated. You know, art is like one big conversation. There's always someone else in the room.