Maddalena Church Rome 1975

 

I spent a lot of time on the street in Rome, doing what countless other artists have done and continue to do: draw. Fortunately the art deposits of three thousand years gave me and my fellow pencil wielders unlimited subject matter especially if it was architecture. This impressive molding or carving is from the Church of the Maddalena or Mary Magdalene, a perfect example of the Baroque style. You can't get enough of these grand cornices and sculptures, which have their roots in Later Roman Empire architecture and design. And as time went on, immigrant artists and architects brought their memories of this style to other continents and nations, so you could see Ancient Rome in a Victorian portico.

Pencil on sketchbook page, 7 1/2" x 5 1/2", 1975.