Shelf Clock c. 1940

This drawing of a shelf clock was made by Ferdinand Cartier, who was born in 1892. Imagine him, with his pencil, carefully rendering the dark wood of this clock. What I love is the way it marks the passage of time! It must have been a labor of love to render the details and create a likeness of the clock’s features. The face of the clock is a gentle reminder that time keeps moving on, no matter what we're doing. The drawing seems to capture a moment of stillness. The lines are soft and smooth, as if Cartier caressed the page with his pencil, and it puts me in mind of other artists such as Vija Celmins who like to depict things in exquisite detail. It's like a gentle, visual meditation.