Night Cap c. 1938

Herbert Marsh made this dreamy drawing of a Night Cap sometime in his long life, using graphite on paper. I imagine him delicately building up the forms, one line at a time. It looks like he was really trying to see and understand how light falls on these soft, lacy objects. I wonder what he was thinking about as he drew? Maybe he was thinking about the person who wore the nightcap, or the quiet moments before sleep. I like the way he used the graphite to create a sense of softness and volume, especially in the folds of the fabric. There’s a real tenderness in the way he rendered the lace. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin’s drawings, with their quiet, understated beauty. Artists are always looking and learning from each other, across time. It’s like one big, ongoing conversation. This drawing feels like a very intimate and personal statement, an invitation to slow down and appreciate the beauty of simple, everyday things.