Façade van het Palazzo Nerucci te Sienna c. 1890 - 1922

This drawing of the Façade van het Palazzo Nerucci te Sienna was made by Johanna van de Kamer with ink on paper. It’s a bit like a blueprint but one charged with feeling. I love the cross hatching she uses to create tone. You can see her process so clearly in every mark. There is a real sense of rhythm to the way the bricks have been laid down, and the shadows built up. The surface of the building is almost tactile. Notice the way that the hatching becomes looser and more gestural the further down the building you travel. I wonder if this was to save time, or whether it was a conscious attempt to convey depth and perspective. It’s interesting to see how the artist translated the light and shadow of the building into simple pen strokes. It reminds me of some of the architectural drawings made by Agnes Martin, although perhaps a little more grounded and a little less ethereal. For me, art is all about these conversations and echoes that ripple through time.