Wardrobe c. 1942

Rosa Rivero made this drawing of a wardrobe, on paper, in soft brown tones. I see her, brush in hand, studying the object, maybe in a woodshop. I wonder what Rivero thought about while making this drawing. Maybe she pondered about the tree the wood came from, or maybe she imagined the hands of the carpenter shaping the wood, joining the pieces together. The light in this drawing reminds me a little bit of Agnes Martin’s grids. A certain kind of quiet, maybe. There is something beautifully rigid and controlled about both artists. This drawing is a quiet conversation about form, and labour, and light, all captured on paper. It reminds me that art is an ongoing exchange across time, inspiring creativity, and offering new ways of seeing the world.