Wall Bracket (Ecclesiastical) c. 1940

Dayton Brown made this watercolor of a wall bracket. It's got a simple palette: tan, brown, and beige tones, almost like faded sandstone. The artist is tracing the form of architectural details, but it's more than just a copy; there's a real sense of touch. Look at the way he renders the ornament along the top, alternating circles and diamonds. I can imagine him, carefully switching between shapes, varying the pressure and speed of the brush strokes. I wonder if Brown was thinking about these brackets as stand-alone objects, or if he was contemplating the spaces they define, the shadows they cast? The piece brings to mind the work of Agnes Martin, who found freedom through the act of repetition.