Man at the Crossroad 1924

Dean Cornwell, sometime in the first half of the 20th century, made this urban scene with oils. Look at the broad brushstrokes and the sombre palette, mostly browns and grays, punctuated by patches of light. I bet Cornwell stood on that street, perhaps in the evening, and watched as people passed. He was probably drawn to the interplay of light and shadow, the gritty textures of the city. What were the lives of these men? Maybe they were thinking about their lives, their crossroads. Did he try to have them pose? I wonder what he told them, how he composed the painting. The dark shadows on the cobblestones, the glimmer of light from the window—it makes me want to know what he was feeling that day. Painters throughout time have looked at light, trying to solve the mystery of it. Each one contributes to the conversation about how we see. Ultimately, painting is about looking and feeling. And this one feels mysterious.