Silver Snuff Box c. 1936

Clayton Braun made this drawing of a Silver Snuff Box sometime in the 20th century. It’s a graphite drawing, so the palette is limited, almost monochromatic. But the mark-making is so clear and precise. There is the solid form, the three-dimensionality of the object rendered through careful tonal variation. The drawing offers us two perspectives of the box, one a kind of bird’s eye view of the carved relief on the lid, the other a side view showing the hinged opening. What interests me is the drawing of the figures on the lid, how Braun has rendered a kind of classical sculpture through subtle variations in line weight and tone. You can almost feel the roundedness of the figures through the light and shadow. The subject of wrestling figures is also compelling; it reminds me of the work of Thomas Eakins, another artist who was interested in the human body in motion. The drawing has such an economy of means. It suggests that complexity and depth can be achieved through a limited palette and a precise hand.