Mood

The watercolor shows a solitary, deeply shadowed figure facing the viewer from the near end of a long hallway. Multiple grey stone archways form the hall, leading from an iron-gated second entryway in the foreground, to arched double doors at the far end. Several rooms can be seen off to the right. Bright sun washes the walls and the flagstone floor in yellow. The picture depicts a church, maybe, or a museum. A piece of artwork stands out on the wall of the room nearest the gate. Pendent lights align above, ready to light the hall when the sun fades.

What story does the picture tell?

An inscrutable individual lumbers deeper into the building, hands dejectedly buried in pockets, shoulders forlorn. Dressed head to toe in black, the clothing rumpled and uncared for. The figure turns away from the light outside, passes by the rooms to be explored, and moves ploddingly toward the recesses of the building beyond the forbidding iron gates. The stranger offers no greeting or meeting of the eyes. Silence reigns.

Or perhaps the person in the picture is a curious wanderer, dressed casually, comfortably, hands resting in pockets, meandering room to room perusing all there is to be seen. One can almost hear echoes of soft footsteps, the long pauses as something catches the sightseer’s attention. The warm sunlight streaming in casts the figure in shadow, but another step might bring the visitor into the light. It’s quiet and serene, but only a moment away from the person looking up to offer a kind word or a brief conversation.

Is the solitary figure lonely, or simply, for the moment, alone? There is a difference between lonely and alone. It all depends on the story you tell.

An eckphrasic essay based on a watercolor by Ben Ficks – a study of the Yale Art Gallery – read at Art in the AM