Wooden Plow c. 1938

This drawing of ‘Wooden Plow’ was made by Jacinto Placencio Roman, though we don’t know exactly when. I love the range of greys that he coaxed from his pencil. I’m wondering if Roman grew up seeing this kind of work. I imagine him watching those figures, the way they move and tilt, seeing the light shift on the animals’ backs. He has really captured the weight and the physicality of this scene. The land is so furrowed, with these repetitive, almost meditative marks. The animals are so solid, muscular, and strong. When you look at the figure at the back, see how he leans slightly forward, his hat casting a shadow. Roman renders his clothing with dense, careful lines, which is in contrast to the simple, almost abstract, brushstrokes of the sky. It makes me think of how artists are always looking, learning from what came before and from each other, building on a collective history of representation. What can drawing teach us about seeing? What can farming teach us about being?