Penitente Processional Lantern c. 1937

Editor: This is Majel G. Claflin’s pencil drawing, "Penitente Processional Lantern" from around 1937. The precision is stunning, but something about the somber gray scale gives it a feeling of austerity. What immediately jumps out at you when you examine it? Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the rigorous geometry and the contrasting textures within the limited tonal range. Note how Claflin uses varied pressure to simulate different metallic surfaces, while the repetitive curves on the lantern’s steeple create a visual rhythm. Can you identify other instances of pattern within the composition? Editor: Certainly, the alternating beads along the pyramid create one pattern. And there's the floral design at the base of the lantern! Then there's the wrapped post—or is that simply shading to imply texture? Curator: An excellent point. Claflin has used shading both to simulate and to abstract form. Ask yourself how your understanding of these shapes changes when light is perceived through form, versus texture. Editor: It's like she's playing with surface and depth, challenging us to reconcile the drawing's flatness with the illusion of three-dimensionality. The floral design adds intrigue! Curator: Precisely! The floral design serves as the nexus point between hard-edged and flowing structures in tension with one another. This pencil study rewards those who carefully evaluate their relationship. Editor: Seeing the shapes, shading and forms helps me notice all the ways depth plays with perspective and realism. I may look at architectural sketches in a new light from now on. Curator: Indeed. Considering form, materiality, and line work is central to experiencing art across time.