Grandfather's Clock (Timepiece) c. 1937

Francis Law Durand made this painting of a Grandfather's Clock, probably from life, and the resulting image, made with watercolor and graphite on paper, captures the clock's essence. I can imagine Durand carefully building up the wood grain, layer after layer, each stroke capturing the subtle shifts in tone and texture, trying to depict the essence of time itself. The paint is thin, almost transparent, allowing the whiteness of the paper to shine through, creating a luminous effect. I like to imagine Durand thinking about how this clock marked the passage of time for generations. The ticking hands remind us that everything is always becoming something else. Durand's careful brushwork gives the clock a sense of solidity and permanence and invites us to contemplate our own relationship to time. Painters are always in conversation with each other, across time and space, inspiring each other's creativity.