Study for "Laying the Bets" 1935

Minna Citron made this drawing, a study for "Laying the Bets," in 1935, probably with graphite on paper. I love how the quick marks almost feel like shorthand, capturing gestures and forms in the simplest way possible. The whole thing has this wonderful, searching quality to it, like Citron is thinking through the image right in front of us. I'm really drawn to the way the figures are hunched over, their bodies almost merging into one another. You can almost feel the tension and concentration as they lean in to examine something, maybe a card game or a horse race. And notice how the lines around their forms are kind of scribbled and loose, giving the whole scene a sense of movement and energy, but the details of the shoes are tighter, more weighted. It's a beautifully balanced image. Citron reminds me a bit of Daumier, both of them capturing these everyday moments with a real sense of empathy and humor. And like Daumier, Citron isn't afraid to leave things unresolved, embracing the messiness and ambiguity of life.