Shaker Stairway

Lon Cronk

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of a stair railing design. It portrays an intricately detailed railing that is part of a staircase with a gentle curve at the top. The railing consists of uniformly spaced vertical balusters connecting the handrail and base rail, with a large post anchoring the corner. The perspective suggests two possible levels of a building, as indicated by the placement of the stairs at an angle descending to the bottom right of the drawing. The perspective and shading give a sense of depth and dimension to the design. The brown tint used in the drawing emphasizes the details and contours of the wood. The design is accompanied by the artist’s name, "Lon Cronk," written on the image.