This watercolor focuses on a sculptural face embedded within the architecture of a building on St. Marks Place in New York's East Village. Seen from below, the figure emerges from layers of ornamental terracotta, surrounded by curves, spirals, and repeated geometric forms. The surround is held in warm tones while the face is cooled toward gray - a separation more pronounced in the painting than on the building itself. The tightly framed composition transforms an architectural detail that might easily be overlooked into a commanding presence. Architectural terracotta ornament of this period was typically modeled in clay and reproduced through molds before being fired and installed on the facade. Ornament of this kind was modeled once in clay, cast from a mold, fired, and installed — the same form repeated across a facade, and sometimes across other buildings entirely. The architects are usually documented. The craftspeople who modeled the figures usually are not. * Framing: Framed; frame not shown * Room view: For scale and presentation only