Wood and Tin Chandelier c. 1937

This is George Constantine's drawing of a Wood and Tin Chandelier, made with pencil and watercolor. Look at the way the watercolor is laid down in these transparent washes, it's like the light itself is being captured on the page, just barely kissing the surface. The central structure has this playful quality, like a stack of plump wooden beads. The drawing feels both precise and kind of tentative; it is as if Constantine is feeling his way through the process of rendering the object, allowing us to see the mechanics of the chandelier. The spindly arms that reach outwards are so delicate that they might break under their own weight. And the little candle cups—they remind me of doilies, or maybe tiny skirts! You might almost see this object swaying gently, like a Calder mobile.