Seated Figure 1934

Arshile Gorky made this "Seated Figure" drawing with graphite on paper, and when I look at those lines, I imagine Gorky thinking and rethinking, as he’s trying to find the figure in a flurry of marks. I bet he was staring intently at the model, trying to capture something essential. You can see how the lines are searching, not just describing. It’s like he’s mapping out the volumes and angles of the body, but also trying to find the mood, that pose. The way he uses these quick, dark strokes, it makes me feel like he was in a hurry, or maybe he was just so excited to get it all down. And that head, resting on the hand - it’s so full of thought, right? There’s a real sense of presence, even in this sketch. Gorky's searching lines remind me of other artists like Giacometti, who also seemed to be hunting for the figure in space. It's like they’re all part of this conversation, stretching across time and studios.