Stravinsky 1940

Donald Carlisle Greason made this drawing of Stravinsky using ink, probably directly from life. Imagine the scene – the swift marks and smudges, that feeling of trying to catch a likeness in a fleeting moment. I find myself wondering what it might have been like to be Greason, charcoal in hand, trying to capture the essence of Stravinsky's intensity. The line is so confident in places, then fragile. See how the wash creates depth and drama, but also feels like an attempt to soften the angularity of the line. Look at the repeated figure in the background, this is not about one single static image. It's all about the energy and movement that comes from the making, as if the artist is trying out the gesture to discover what it means. It reminds me of the drawings of David Hockney, as if he is in conversation with painters across time, and through his own work, he inspires us to think about painting in new ways.