Candlestick 1935 - 1942

This drawing of a candlestick was made by Francis Law Durand sometime during his lifetime, which spanned from 1855 to 1995. I can almost feel Durand at work with his pencil or charcoal, carefully rendering the glass and metal. Think about what it might have been like to create this piece. I imagine him, totally absorbed, building up the values bit by bit, hatching lines to create the illusion of depth and form. Notice how the light seems to glow from within the glass. What a challenge that must have been! And the detailed work on the metal base. You can see Durand took such great care in describing every little detail. It reminds me of other artists who obsessively depict everyday objects, turning the mundane into something magical. Drawing like this is a way of seeing, a way of understanding the world through patient observation. It's a conversation across time and artistic practice, with each artist inspiring the next to look a little closer, a little longer.