Land Title and Trust Building with Addition, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Perspective Rendering c. 1900 - 1904

This rendering of the Land Title and Trust Building in Philadelphia emerges like a soft dream, conjured with watercolor and graphite on paper. I can almost feel the architect’s hand, D.H. Burnham, carefully layering washes of color, building up the form of this grand structure with incredible precision. The pale yellows and creams of the building facades contrast against the wispy blues and grays of the sky. It makes me wonder, was Burnham thinking about light and atmosphere as much as structure? The painting is so detailed! Look at each window, each cornice, rendered with delicate strokes. The shadows, ever so slight, give the building its volume and weight. And down below, a flurry of activity – tiny figures and horse-drawn carriages buzzing around the base of the building. This drawing makes me think about the relationship between art and architecture and about how both inform each other.