Wrought Iron Fence c. 1936

This drawing of a wrought iron fence was made by Francis Law Durand, probably from life. I can imagine Durand outside, squinting in the sun, trying to get the perspective just right, and trying to capture the intricate details of the ironwork with graphite. The light in the drawing is beautiful and soft, giving the metal a gentle sheen. I wonder what Durand was thinking about as he worked. Was he simply interested in the challenge of depicting this complicated form, or was there something more? Maybe he was thinking about the people on either side of the fence. I love how the fence has these cute heart shapes. It reminds me that even the most mundane objects can be beautiful and meaningful if we take the time to really look at them. There's a lot of interesting modern art that uses fences. I'm thinking of Gordon Matta-Clark, for instance. I like to imagine all these artists are connected in some way, all talking to each other across time.