Sir William Blackstone 1923

Paul Wayland Bartlett made this bronze sculpture of Sir William Blackstone, but we don't know when exactly. The surface is wonderfully rough, almost as if the clay or plaster was directly cast in bronze. It reminds me of a painter who leaves the underpainting exposed, reveling in the history of the work. Look closely at the folds of the robes – see how they catch the light, creating a play of shadows that accentuates the texture? There's a real tension between the weight of the bronze and the delicacy of these details. It makes me think of Rodin, who also left traces of his hand in the finished piece, embracing the unfinished as a kind of truth. This feels like a conversation between artists across time, each finding new ways to explore the possibilities of their medium. And like all good art, this sculpture invites us to bring our own experiences to the table, to find our own meanings in its folds and shadows.