Esther Brock Bird (act. 1920s-1940s)
[Low Memorial Library, Columbia University]
American: 1922
Pen and ink, gouache and crayon or pastel on colored paper
Signed twice lower margin and dated 1922
10.5 x 12 inches, approximate image
11.5 x 14.5 inches, overall
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Low Memorial Library, Columbia University
Drawing by Esther Brock Bird, 1922
Drawing by Esther Brock Bird, 1922
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Cropped as indicated by the artist
Detail
Full sheet
Energetic mixed media drawing, capturing the flow of pedestrians around the Low Memorial Library at Columbia University in late fall or winter. Rendered in a bold, gestural style, the white columns, steps and walls of the Beaux Arts building are set against the dark, calligraphic silhouettes of trees and people, with effective use made of the medium-toned brown paper showing through, and accents drawn with gray pastel or conte crayon.
Low Memorial Library was constructed in 1895 as the architectural center of the Morningside Heights campus, and named for Seth Low, a former president of the university. The architectural style is based on the Pantheon in Rome and the Parthenon in Greece, and it supports the largest all-granite dome in North America. The building housed the campus library until 1934, and today serves as the location of the office of the president and the Columbia archival collection, as well as the site for the annual awarding of the Pulitzer Prizes. Low Memorial Library became an official City of New York landmark in 1967.
Esther Brock Bird was an American artist who produced works on paper and lithographs as well as book illustrations. Her New York City scenes are lively and complex, showing architectural landmarks amidst the bustle of automobile traffic and pedestrians. Her book illustrations include the Pearl S. Buck children’s classic The Dragon Fish (1944).
Reference:
“Low Memorial Library.” ColumbiaUniversity. http://www.gs.columbia.edu/kevinmap/lowmemorial.htm (31 August 2007).