Ebony, Marble-top Table c. 1938

Edward Darby made this drawing of an ebony, marble-top table, we don’t know exactly when, but Darby lived a long life, passing away in 1995. Looking at the drawing you get the feeling that he worked meticulously, trying to capture the shape of this fancy table just so. It looks like a study of a thing he saw. The colour palette is pretty simple – black, white, and a touch of grey – but look at the way Darby used line to create texture. The legs of the table are so busy and ornate, and the shading is intense, giving the whole thing a real presence. What strikes me is the drawing’s precision, and its commitment to detail. There is something almost gothic about the dark wood, carved faces and baroque decoration. I’m reminded of the drawings of M.C. Escher, both artists have a love of detail and an interest in the material world. Both artists embraced ambiguity and multiple interpretations.