Staande naakte vrouw c. 1920

Simon Moulijn made this drawing of a standing nude woman with graphite on paper. The artist has rendered the figure with these incredibly delicate and soft marks. Look at the hatch marks, and the way they build a sense of form. You get the feeling he was trying to grasp at the essence of the figure through the act of drawing. What might it have been like for Moulijn to stand before his model, charcoal in hand, coaxing these forms into being? I love how the dark smudges create a sense of depth, suggesting the curve of her back and the fall of light. It’s a really personal thing, drawing, you know? It's immediate and vulnerable. You can see the artist thinking through line and tone. It is really amazing how one artist can affect another.