Farm in November 1936

Pierre Sanford Ross made this lithograph, Farm in November, in 1936. The subtle gradations of tone are just so evocative and beautifully rendered. You get a real sense of the artist feeling his way through the image, with the grainy texture of the lithographic crayon building up the scene layer by layer. It's a process right there on the surface. I love how the textures create such depth, especially in the sky. The mark-making feels so physical, like you could almost reach out and touch the rough surface of the barn or the soft fur of the horse. And those bare trees – skeletal against the sky – they're not just trees, they're expressive gestures. I see echoes of artists like Grant Wood in this piece, that same sense of American regionalism, but with Ross's own distinct voice. It’s like he's in conversation with the art of his time, taking cues and pushing back, trying to find his own way. And that, for me, is what art is all about. It’s all about seeing how each artist adds their own brushstroke to the ongoing dialogue.