Cast Iron Rail and Gate c. 1936

This drawing of a Cast Iron Rail and Gate was made by Arelia Arbo sometime in the 20th century. The design is rendered with soft graphite marks, like a blueprint, but with a delicate touch. I can imagine the artist carefully measuring and sketching each detail. You can tell Arbo must have been thinking about balance, the way the curves and straight lines of the ironwork come together. You can almost feel the coolness and weight of the metal. Look at the fleur-de-lis on top of the bars. I wonder how many iterations Arbo went through to get that detail just right. Artists are always inspired by each other. Like the ironworkers of the past, Arelia Arbo probably drew on earlier traditions, while adding her own personal flair. Each mark on the page, each decision about form, speaks to the endless conversation that artists have across time. It's like they're all in the same room, riffing off each other's ideas, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.