Peter Stuyvesant Garden c. 1936

George Stonehill’s Peter Stuyvesant Garden is made with ink and watercolor on paper. These are traditional art materials, yet they are used here to create a technical drawing. Consider how the flatness of the medium influences the drawing’s appearance. The very thinness of the applied ink and watercolor layers allows Stonehill to depict the layout of this garden in great detail. He emphasizes geometric forms, dividing the garden into quadrants each with its own unique decorations and contents. It’s likely he used drafting tools to assist in the creation of this image. The precise rendering of the garden speaks to the skilled traditions of architectural drawing, alongside those of fine art. However, the intense labor involved in creating such a complex, decorative drawing contrasts with the idea of a garden, which is meant to be a place of leisure. The materials, making, and context of Stonehill’s garden are vital for a full understanding, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.