Architectural Ornament c. 1936

This drawing of an Architectural Ornament was made by William Kerby, but we don’t know when. It’s a beautiful study in pencil on paper. I love the way he’s used the side of the pencil to create a sense of light and shadow. It's so subtle. You can really see the hand of the artist, not just in the rendering of the ornament, but in the soft atmospheric haze of the pencil marks. The texture of the paper becomes almost palpable. Look closely at how the light seems to catch the edges of the stone. There’s a real sense of stillness here, like a moment captured in time. It reminds me a little of Piranesi and his architectural studies. Except Kerby's work feels a bit softer, more forgiving. Art, after all, is just an ongoing conversation. We borrow, we steal, we transform, and we keep the dialogue alive. And that's what makes it so endlessly fascinating.