Studies of the Siena Cathedral

Walter Shirlaw's architectural sketches capture the Gothic details of Siena's Cathedral with rapid, economical line work and selective watercolor washes. These studies—including ornamental moldings, sculptural corbels, and structural elements—demonstrate the working method of a painter engaged in careful observation of medieval design. Shirlaw, a Scottish-born American artist, used such sketches to build visual knowledge for larger compositions, translating architectural forms into the language of academic painting practice in the nineteenth century.