#TBT In September 1999, we exhibited Darkness Like a Dream: Nineteenth Century Sandpaper Drawings which presented examples of folk-art tradition in which artists used charcoal on boards covered with marble dust. The exhibition was located in the former location of the Drawing Room and it coincided with the inauguration of our publication series Drawing Papers. Traditionally known as “sandpaper paintings” and also as “sandpapers”, this work was not made on sandpaper nor was it a painting technique. Rather, the artists used a panel or board covered with marble dust, which was favored for its sparkle and tooth. They transformed the shimmering surface with charcoal and/or pastel and created images that were marked by deep blacks and shining whites. Image: E.S. Hewitt, The Token of the Covenant. Charcoal and pastel on marble-dusted board. 18 ½ x 24 5/16. Collection of Randall and Tanya Holton. #TheDrawingCenter #sandpaper #drawing