Historic Gravestone Portraits

Drawing Historic Gravestone Portraits

This is from the gravestone of Patience Watson located in Plymouth, Mass.

I have always been in love with portrait-style gravestones. I find the inclusion of specific types of clothing or hat, or hairstyle really draws me in and gets me thinking about who the person was in a different way than the basic gravestone statistics. The drawings on this page are all from photos in Alan Ludwig’s classic gravestone tome Graven Images.

From the gravestone of Rev. Grindall Rawson in Mendon MA.

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This is drawing of the Peter Bancroft stone is based on a photo from the Farber Gravestone Collection which is the most immense and valuable online collection of images and searchable content about Early American gravestones ever. If you like historic gravestones I have just found your new favorite website.

From the gravestone of Peter Bancroft in Auburn, MA.

“I like that when my kids say: “Hey that kinda looks like Thomas Jefferson.” I’m pretty sure they mean Daveed Diggs, not the two-dollar bill guy. ”

From the gravestone of Gordon Courtmanche. New Haven, CT.

I have gotten to carve one portrait-style gravestone. I feel really thrilled to have been given that opportunity. I think there’s just something about this that makes me wish I had known him. It draws me in, in a personal, relatable way. Or at least that’s what I was trying to do.

Going through doors...

From the gravestone of Thomas Allen located in Lancaster MA. This drawing is from my sketchbook looking at a photo from the Farber Gravestone collection online.

I have been drawing a lot more lately. Looking at photos of old gravestones and playing with the forms trying to learn from them. I have always loved the concept of these figures in doorways… passing from one place to another.

“I hear a small sound, and one more time
I put the patient key in the lock.
The door trembles as it opens:”

— Paul Engle "Door"