Door Knocker c. 1939

Joseph Stonefield made this drawing of a "Door Knocker" in an unknown year, with a graphite pencil. Looking at it, I'm immediately drawn to the almost obsessive detail in the rendering of the surface texture. It's like Stonefield wasn't just recording an object, but feeling it out, translating touch into these tiny, repetitive marks. There’s something really satisfying about the way the graphite captures the light on the metal, giving it a sculptural presence despite being on flat paper. See how each little mark builds up to create a sense of depth and weight? It’s almost like he's trying to understand the essence of "knocker-ness"—its function, its history, its silent invitation. The small flower motif at the centre really elevates the piece, a sign of Stonefield's artistic prowess. It reminds me of some of the architectural drawings of Piranesi, who was similarly interested in documenting the past through detailed renderings, like archaeology on paper. Art is always responding to art, always in conversation. This piece invites us to consider the act of seeing as an act of knowing, of feeling, of imagining.