York River 1882

Peter Moran made this drawing of the York River using graphite on paper. These materials are about as elemental as you can get, just a rock and a processed plant fiber. The softness of the graphite allows for a wide tonal range, from the faintest whisper to solid dark lines. Look closely, and you'll see how Moran used this capacity to create depth. The pencil has captured the texture of the trees on the horizon, the calm surface of the water, and the wooden structures along the shore. It's fascinating to consider the directness of drawing as a medium. With just a stick of graphite, Moran could translate the world around him into a tangible form. The intimacy of this process, the immediate connection between the artist's hand and the paper, gives the work its evocative quality. It blurs the distinctions between observation, craft, and art.