Marble Mosaic Wall c. 1936

Ellen Duncan created this watercolor and graphite study of a marble mosaic wall, capturing a moment frozen in time. The mosaic, with its precise grid and framed panels, evokes ancient Roman grandeur, a symbol of order and civilization. The careful arrangement of small, colored pieces into a larger design speaks to a deep-seated human desire to impose structure on chaos. The egg-and-dart motif border has its roots in ancient Greece, where it symbolized regeneration and new life. This pattern, seen here, is a echo of its classical origins. Consider how such motifs, charged with historical weight, recur throughout art history. They appear in Renaissance frescoes, and even in Art Deco designs, constantly adapting yet retaining their primal allure. It is as if the collective unconscious remembers and reinterprets these symbols, imbuing them with new significance each time they resurface. These aesthetic choices act as a reminder that we are all a part of a larger, cyclical progression, where images and ideas are constantly resurrected and transformed.