Mourning Ring c. 1936

Michael Fenga made this drawing of a mourning ring, we don't know when, on a buff sheet of paper. It looks like he took his time with it. The ring, and the other views of it, are very small in the frame, but the details are easy to see: the simple shape of the band, the pillowed stone that sits on top, the way the light is catching the side of the stone. The precision of the drawing makes me think of technical illustrations, and Fenga’s care with the different angles and views suggests he was planning to make the ring himself. The paper is stained and has a few scattered marks, probably made when this was just a sheet of paper on a table somewhere. I can imagine Fenga sitting, carefully considering the ring, and carefully making this drawing. It reminds me a little of the drawings of medical tools made by Joseph Yoakum, with its gentle precision. Ultimately, the most powerful art invites many interpretations.