One Font and Plan (recto); Two Romanesque Style Fonts (verso) 1840 - 1870

This drawing of "One Font and Plan" at the Met is rendered with graphite and brown wash. Anonymous, this architectural study reveals a careful arrangement of geometric forms. Notice how the artist meticulously juxtaposes the elevation with the plan. Above, the font rises in a series of stacked, horizontal registers, crowned by a rhythmic arcade. Below, the plan view presents a fragmented, almost cubist perspective, bisected to reveal interior structures. The linear precision and tonal modulation give a sense of volume and depth. This is not merely a technical drawing, but an exploration of how line and shape can articulate space and structure. The semiotic relationship between plan and elevation challenges our perception, inviting us to reconstruct the object in our mind’s eye. It is in the interplay between representation and abstraction that we see the artist's vision.