The Shawl 1963

John Henry Rock made this drawing, The Shawl, with graphite on paper, and it's a fascinating study in contrasts. There's a push and pull between light and dark, figure and ground, that really grabs you. The way Rock uses graphite is so interesting - sometimes it's smudged and soft, creating these hazy, atmospheric shadows, and other times it’s sharp and precise, defining the architectural details of the background. The figure is rendered with a delicate touch, almost as if she's emerging from the darkness. Look at the marks that create the shawl she’s holding – they’re not just lines, they’re textural, suggesting the weight and drape of the fabric. The overall effect is less about a literal representation and more about a feeling. It reminds me a little of some of the dreamlike imagery in Odilon Redon's work. Art isn't about answers, but about sparking a conversation, and this piece definitely gets you thinking.