Iron Gate and Fence c. 1936

Arelia Arbo made this drawing of an iron gate and fence with pencil and watercolour. The muted grey tones are so calming, and the lines are so precise, it feels like a daydream captured on paper. The details here are everything, right? Look at the texture she coaxes from the watercolour, how the light catches on the surface of the iron. The paint is thin, almost transparent, letting the pencil lines peek through, like a ghost of the structure underneath. And those floral details! Each swirl and curve is so deliberate, yet they feel organic, alive. Notice the little rosette at the bottom left, a kind of signature, perhaps? This drawing reminds me of Agnes Martin’s quiet grids, but with a touch of whimsy. It's a reminder that beauty can be found in the everyday, in the structures that surround us, if we just take the time to really see them.