Bell c. 1937

Harry Grossen made this drawing of a bell, we don't know when. It’s rendered in muted greys and blacks, a really focused study in tone and surface. I’m imagining Grossen in front of this hulking metal thing, trying to capture not just its shape but its feeling. Maybe the cool, slightly metallic smell of the bell? You can see it’s not just a flat, dead rendering, he’s really looking. The small details around the top and the fleur-de-lis suggest he's interested in the bell’s history. I am wondering about Harry’s life, and how his paintings connect to the other artists of his generation and beyond. I can feel the weight of this thing! Painters are always in dialogue, borrowing, stealing, and riffing off each other. Just like writers, or musicians. That's how art evolves; it’s a conversation across time. Each artwork is just a moment in that long, ongoing chat.