St. Peter at Lisieux, Normandy; West Front 1818

John Sell Cotman captured St. Peter's West Front in Lisieux, Normandy, using graphite and brown wash on paper. Notice how Cotman's choice of materials, humble graphite and diluted wash, contrasts with the grandeur of his subject, a towering Gothic cathedral. The precision of the graphite allows for an exacting depiction of the cathedral's facade. The texture of the paper becomes integral to the image; its grain subtly disrupting the brown wash, creating the illusion of weathered stone. The careful application and layering of the brown wash defines depth and shadows. The drawing's character is born from labor: from the artist's meticulous observation to the countless hours of human effort required to erect such a monumental structure. Cotman elevates the act of drawing, traditionally a preliminary step, to a finished work of art. He blurs boundaries and challenges what we consider high art.