Wrought Iron Ornament c. 1936

Arelia Arbo made this drawing of a wrought iron ornament sometime in her long life. It's rendered with graphite or ink, capturing the architectural details of what seems to be a church spire. Looking at this, I imagine Arbo outside, sketching this building, grappling with perspective and the challenge of translating three dimensions onto a flat surface. I wonder if she was thinking about the weight of the stone, the height of the spire, the contrast between the solid structure and the delicate ironwork. The surface is matte, absorbing light, which gives it a sense of depth. The lines are precise yet wavering, giving it a somewhat gothic feel. It reminds me of Piranesi's etchings, those architectural fantasies that are both real and imagined. Artists have always looked to the past for inspiration, reinterpreting and reimagining what came before. Like Arbo, we're all in conversation with the art of the past, building upon it, questioning it, and making it our own.