Door Knocker c. 1936

Arsen Maralian made this drawing of a door knocker, though we don’t know exactly when or with what materials. The choice to make a drawing of an everyday object brings attention to artmaking as a process of noticing. I’m really drawn to the range of browns and yellows Maralian uses to create the illusion of metal. Look closely, and you can see the varying pressure of the pencil, building up layers of tone and shadow to give it volume. I love the way the artist plays with the surface; the door knocker almost seems to gleam. There's something deeply satisfying in the contrast between the solidity of the object and the delicate lines of the drawing. This reminds me of the drawings of metalwork by Jan van der Straet. Like Van der Straet, Maralian makes a celebration of design, proving there is beauty to be found in the most commonplace of objects.