Iron Cross c. 1938

H. Langden Brown made this Iron Cross drawing sometime between 1855 and 1955. It looks to me like Brown was trying to capture not just the shape of the thing, but its weight, the texture, the sense of how gravity would act on it. It's like he's saying, "Hey, check out this iron cross!" and really making you *see* it. The surface of the cross is rendered with this beautiful, almost crumbly texture, giving a sense of age, of something enduring. And those subtle shifts in color, from a deep rust to a lighter, almost golden brown. I love how the circle in the center softens the harsh angles, like a visual hug. It reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley's stark, symbolic forms. But Brown brings this quiet, observational approach, inviting us to ponder not just what the cross *means* but what it *is*.