Tin Candle Sconce 1935 - 1942

Majel G. Claflin made this drawing of a Tin Candle Sconce with graphite on paper. The artist seems to be as interested in the process of crafting the sconce as she is in the finished product. The graphite gives the tin a metallic sheen, but it’s the details that really grab me. Look at the tiny, precise marks used to create the patterns on the sconce! These aren’t just decorations; they’re a record of the maker’s hand, a kind of quiet, rhythmic dance. It’s like the artist is showing us how the object is made, layer by layer. Claflin’s work reminds me a bit of some technical drawings, but with a folksy charm. It’s this tension between precision and handmade quality that makes the drawing so compelling. It leaves you wondering not only about the object itself, but also about the person who designed and made it. In art, as in life, it’s the details that tell the story.