Old Paneled Doors: Main Entrance to Monastery c. 1936

Geoffrey Holt made this drawing of old paneled doors, likely with watercolor or ink, paying close attention to their dimensions and construction. It's a pretty straightforward, practical rendering. Holt's got a real feel for the grain and texture of the wood. See how the light and shadow play across each panel, giving them depth and volume? I particularly like the varied tones he uses, from warm browns to cool grays, that suggest the wear and age of the doors. The lines defining the edges are crisp, but they don't feel rigid, and in some places, the pigment bleeds a little, softening the form. It's like he’s letting the materials do their thing. This reminds me a bit of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographs of industrial structures – these cool, objective studies that somehow become deeply evocative. Maybe it’s about how close attention to the everyday can reveal a hidden beauty, or maybe it's about seeing how one artist can open a door for another across time.