Comstock Miner's Lantern 1936

Florence Huston made this drawing of a Comstock Miner's Lantern, though we don't know exactly when or where. It's a drawing of an object, rendered in thin, precise lines, which is really different from what I do. I’m fascinated by these lines, though - so exact, so considered. Each one seems to describe not just the surface of the lantern, but how light might pass through it. The artist seems to be exploring the potential of the lantern, imagining how it might work and feel in the dark. Notice the small ticks indicating shading - it almost looks like a technical drawing! The drawing is precise, but also somehow dreamy, like a memory of an object. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, another artist who found freedom through constraint. It's amazing how much feeling can be evoked with so little.