Mourning Pendants c. 1936

William P. Shearwood made this watercolor and graphite drawing of mourning pendants, but it is difficult to know exactly when. The washes of color are so delicate; it's almost like he's breathing color onto the page. There's a real tenderness in the way he renders the details, like the tiny inscriptions and woven hair. And those slender profiles of the pendants! They remind me of a process of slow looking. Look how he's contrasted the lightness and delicacy of the pendants with the darkness of death. The scenes depicted seem incredibly precious. This reminds me that art is an ongoing conversation across time, in this case a tender expression of grief. It's as if Shearwood is inviting us to sit with the ambiguity and multiple interpretations of loss, reminding us that there are no fixed meanings, only shared experiences.