Est-Zan-Lopa—Navajo Ganado Arizona 1904

Edward Warren Sawyer made this bronze relief portrait, Est-Zan-Lopa—Navajo Ganado Arizona, in 1904. Isn't it something how metal can be so solid, yet worked to evoke the soft curve of a child's cheek? It's the kind of subtle modeling that gets me thinking about how surfaces hold light. Look at the way the light seems to skim across the planes of her face, catching the high points of her brow and nose, and then dissolving into shadow around her eye. I'm reminded of those old master drawings where everything is built up from these delicate gradations of tone. There is a lot of detail to get lost in here too, but look at the swirl of hair at the base of the child's neck, those tiny details make the piece. It's so controlled, but the medium feels like it wants to be formless. It makes me think of the work of Medardo Rosso who made these wax sculptures that feel like they are constantly melting into formlessness. It makes you realize how hard it is to make things that last.