Church steeple roof 

Karl Ballenberger made this study of a church steeple roof, using graphite on paper. The architectural structure itself is an expression of collective effort; many hands would have been involved in realizing the design. Ballenberger captures the essence of the building in thin lines, mapping out both the flat surfaces of the tower and the varied textures of the roof tiles. The windows, each uniformly arched, suggest the skilled labor involved in their creation. The drawing reduces the building to its barest structural elements. It exposes the underlying construction of a place of worship that would have been laden with ornament and symbolism. This emphasis on the physical construction and the way the architectural structure is made foregrounds the labor and the process involved in building the church, offering a reminder of the craftsmanship inherent in even the most monumental of structures.