Shaker Cabinet c. 1941

Edward D. Williams made this drawing of a Shaker Cabinet, and what strikes me is how solid and also how fragile it looks. I imagine Williams working carefully, tracing the lines of this functional object with a fine nib, trying to capture not just its shape, but maybe also its essence. The grain of the wood, the way the light catches on the polished surface, all of it rendered with such precision, and I find myself wondering what that act of replication meant to him. Maybe it's a form of preservation, a way to hold onto something that's slowly fading away. Or maybe it's an act of reverence, a humble tribute to the Shakers and their commitment to simplicity, utility, and craftsmanship. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, in the way the work is so quiet and determined. Anyway, it makes you think, doesn't it? How each artist takes what came before and makes something new, keeping the conversation going.