Door Knocker 1935 - 1942

E.N. Dunne made this drawing of a door knocker with graphite and watercolour. There's something so earnest in the evenness of the shading. It’s like Dunne is trying to capture every single facet of this object, slowly building up the form through a kind of gentle, repetitive action. Look at how the graphite and watercolour softly blend, creating a muted palette of browns and golds. The texture isn’t about bravura mark-making or surface incident; it’s about the way the light seems to move across the object. See how Dunne captures the subtle shadows, suggesting a three-dimensionality with a light touch? The word 'Townsend' is so elegantly written on the door knockers shield. This makes me think a little of Charles Sheeler, especially in the way that everyday objects are rendered with such clear-eyed attention. There's a quiet beauty here, inviting us to really *see* what’s in front of us. Art is about embracing the world, one object, one mark at a time, don't you think?