Zwei Boote im Hafen von Collioure 1928

Hermann Lismann made this drawing of boats in the harbour of Collioure with ink on paper. I can almost imagine Lismann standing right where I am, squinting at the scene, feeling the warm sun. The linear quality of the pen strokes creates this sense of immediacy, like he wanted to get the idea down quickly. There’s an incredible amount of information captured with just a few strokes. Look at the way he’s indicated the curve of the boats. The cross-hatching builds up a kind of tonal depth but also adds to the sense of texture. I think of other artists like Van Gogh and his reed pen drawings. There is this same intensity in the mark-making, that same attempt to translate the world directly through the hand. It reminds us that drawing is this intimate record of seeing. It is an exchange of ideas across time, and each artist inspires the next to observe and express their unique perspective.