Study 1901

This drawing is by Nicholas Roerich, called “Study.” The texture is pretty raw, like looking at a photocopy of an image. I love how the figures seem to emerge from the stark white page, almost like he's coaxing them into existence with a flurry of marks. The bodies are built up through this network of tiny pen strokes that define the shadows, muscles and even the posture of the figures. You can see the clear intention behind his actions: a focus on capturing form and movement, the essence of human form. There's a real sense of the artist’s hand in this piece; the lines feel immediate and unfiltered. These studies are about seeing, and how the artist works out what he sees, how he comes to know what he sees, which is a question that all artists ask themselves, and it's an ongoing discussion across all time.