Window Cornice 1935 - 1942

Here we have Henry Murphy's 'Window Cornice,' a watercolor and graphite rendering. I can imagine him drafting this design, perhaps for a client, working carefully to represent the object's form and ornamentation. The symmetry of the piece is so pleasing; I bet he was thinking about balance and proportion as he worked. I wonder, was he satisfied with how the gold details popped against the black? Did he labour over the central motif, the eagle perhaps? It's funny how a straightforward, technical drawing can still convey a sense of the artist's touch, his focus, his intentions. Painters and designers are always borrowing from each other, even across centuries. This piece makes me think about ornamentation in architecture, and how even small details can carry so much cultural and historical weight. It shows how one discipline informs another, in an ongoing conversation.