Liggende vrouw met lange haren 1849 - 1917

Matthijs Maris made this drawing, Liggende vrouw met lange haren, using graphite on paper. It seems simple, but let's think about it for a minute. Graphite itself is just a form of carbon, like coal or diamonds. The way it glides across the page—leaving behind a trail of dark, metallic sheen—is due to its layered, crystalline structure. And this particular sheet has a grid; graph paper is a staple of technical drawing, where precision is paramount. Maris has harnessed these humble materials, but not to make something functional or diagrammatic. Rather, he’s evoked the human figure, in a very atmospheric way. See how the lines trail off, the forms are not fully resolved? This gives the drawing its special quality—a dreamlike suggestion of the body, rather than a fixed representation. It just goes to show that even the simplest materials, through a skilled hand, can carry great artistic intention.