Pottery Grave Post c. 1937

Annie B. Johnston made this Pottery Grave Post, in an unknown year, using graphite and colored pencil on paper. I can imagine Johnston outside, sketchbook in hand, carefully observing the textures and surfaces of this grave post. See how the graphite captures the rough edges and weathered look of the wood? It’s like she’s trying to preserve this object on paper, giving it a new kind of life. What was Johnston thinking as she drew? Was she reflecting on the person buried there, or the passage of time and the physical signs of decay? These marks and subtle colors have so much to say about memory, history, and the stories objects can tell. She’s showing us that even something as simple as a grave post can be a site of quiet contemplation.