Wall Ornament 1935 - 1942

Molly Bodenstein made this gouache on paper drawing of a wall ornament, sometime in the middle of the 20th century. Imagine Bodenstein making this, maybe as a record of some anonymous piece of vernacular sculpture. She starts by trying to capture the look of a weathered eagle. It's rendered in this subdued green, like the color of old money, with this slightly crusty surface. Bodenstein lays down these delicate washes, coaxing out the textures of the feathers and the details of the shield. She's probably thinking about how light plays across the surface of the sculpture, trying to capture that depth and volume with her brush. It's like she's paying homage not just to the object itself, but to the act of seeing and recording. I always think about how artists are in this ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas and inspiring each other’s creativity. It's like we're all part of this big, messy, beautiful painting together.