Architectural Ornament c. 1936

William Kerby made this architectural ornament at an unknown date, using graphite and paint on paper. Look at the hushed tones, almost monochromatic! I can imagine him, pencil in hand, carefully shading and building up these forms. It’s a study in contrasts, isn't it? The soft gradations against the sharp, geometric lines. You’ve got this tension between the natural—those leaves and wheat shafts—and the man-made structure that contains them. Kerby's playing with a kind of controlled wildness, a theme artists come back to time and again. Think about it—the ornament meant to adorn some grand building, a symbol of growth and abundance, but rendered here in such muted, contemplative tones. It’s like he’s inviting us to look closer, to find the quiet beauty in these architectural details, just as painters are inspired by one another across time.