View from the Hotel Window of Roof of Guild Hall, Brussels, Belgium 1976

Ivan Albright made this drawing, View from the Hotel Window of Roof of Guild Hall, Brussels, Belgium, probably from his hotel window. Imagine him, looking, thinking, choosing his media, and his point of view. The surface of the drawing is a mass of tiny lines. See how they build up to create the weight of the building, the texture of the roof, and the atmospheric perspective. The tonal range here is mostly grey, it must have been a grey day. But look at the touches of brighter color, in the windows and in the sky. I wonder if he saw painting as a philosophical investigation into the nature of looking and seeing? I bet other artists who have stared out of windows have thought the same thing; and in that way all artists are connected, inspiring one another’s creativity through their interpretation of the world.