Saint Mary (Variation II) (b)

Graphite on rough paper · 8 × 11 inches

In this variation, “mother and child” dissolve into a single spiraling gesture. Faces are barely defined; identity yields to archetype.

An oval void indicates the child’s place within the mother’s embrace, transforming absence into protection. The entire composition unfolds as one continuous upward curve.

Layered graphite gathers along inner arcs while untouched paper glows softly. Holiness is reframed as movement—an architecture of care shaped entirely through line.

Instead of a heroic ascent, the drawing presents containment. Adversity is not confronted outwardly; it reshapes the self. Endurance becomes internal concentration rather than visible struggle.