The Color of Light, The Treasury of Shadows: Pastels by Louis I. Kahn

In pastels that have been acknowledged as the most sublime examples of his drawing, Louis I. Kahn portrayed the vivid colors of light and shadow illuminating the public spaces of Italy and the ancient sites of Greece and Egypt. These pastels were made during a three-month period in 1950–51 when Kahn was Architect in Residence at the American Academy in Rome. While architects throughout history have recorded these monuments, Kahn’s drawings are no mere portraits of architecture. They can be experienced purely as the deepest rendering of light and the complementary colors of its shadows.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.