Wall Anchor c. 1941

Milton Grubstein made this drawing of an eagle wall anchor, we don't know exactly when, but he used graphite on paper. The subdued palette emphasises texture and form through tiny gradations of tone. Grubstein used the humble graphite pencil to suggest the weathered and aged materiality of the sculpture, which may have been cast in bronze or iron. Look at the wing on the left, with each feather meticulously rendered. This is where the drawing sings. The careful, almost obsessive attention to detail gives a sense of the artist’s deep engagement with the subject. It brings to mind the work of other under-known but dedicated draughtsman, like Alfred Leslie, who used similar approaches to suggest mass and volume through precise delineation. Grubstein's eagle reminds us that art is a conversation, not a monologue, and there are many ways to represent the world around us.